New World, Big Troble
by XxWierdchikxX
Summary: All Ember ever wanted to do that day was read her favorite book, but now she's wisked away to the world of FMA. Her sisters favorite TV show but she hates it. What in the world is going on? And why does everyone keep calling her Nina? READ AUTHORS NOTE!
1. Chapter 1

Wierdo: HOLA!!! Welcome to my first fanfic EVER!!! As you can see I am still a complete newbie so constructive criticism is greatly appreciated. This is a Fullmetal Alchemist fanfic based off of the ANIME-verse. Just for futer reference.

Ed: Great another phsyco with a computer and an internet connection.

Wierdo: NO! Its _wierdo_, W-I-E-R-D-O!

Ed: You know thats spelled wrong, right?

Wierdo: SO!

Ed: Anyway why should I do what you say? You don't own me or any one else in Fullmetal Alchemist, just Ember and her family.

Wierdo: Sadly thats very true... You're mean... *Hits Ed in the face and runs away like a mad man*

___________________________________________________

"Man that ending sucked!" Sarah exclaimed at her computer. She had been watching the _Full Metal Alchemist_ movie on YouTube.

"Dude the whole show sucks," Ember said matter-of-factly from across the bed room that she and her sister shared.

"No it does not!" Sarah jumped out of her chair to stare at her sister, "It's full of tragedy, and heart break, and at some parts it hints at little bit of romance. Plus, Edward and Alphonse are the coolest characters ever!"

"What ever you say little sis. The only thing that is slightly along those lines and has an Edward in it that I like is Twilight," She said waving the book at her infuriated little sister. "And besides, Anime all around sucks, I mean look how retarded all those characters look like, and half the time the mouth movements don't even match the words that come out."

Sarah just stared at her sister, flabbergasted. "You – You're just hopeless," She turned around and headed for the bathroom to take a shower, "The only way you'll ever appreciate it is if you were sucked into it," and she slammed the door.

"Yeah, like _that_ will ever happen!" she called after her sister. _How are we related again?_ She thought to her self just before a wind picked up in their room and a large door appeared. _Uhmm, when did _that _get here?_

"Uh, ha ha ha," she laughed nervously, "That's very funny Sarah, I'm creeped out. You can stop now!" But it didn't stop.

"Hello Ember," a strange voice said, "Its time for a little Fieldtrip."

The door opened and black arms reached out of the door and wrapped themselves around her and began to pull her in. She grabbed on to her bed post and held on for dear life, or at least she tried, but she was never very strong and her arms gave up on her. That's when she decided to scream bloody murder, but the arms had pulled her in before she had gotten a full five seconds in.

"Have fun _little girl_," the same voice said from all directions.

She barely had enough time to say, "_Little?_" before all she could see was a blinding flash of light and then nothing.

"Okay, what are you-," Sarah began walking into the bedroom with a towel slung over her shoulder. Ember had been screaming and yelling something at her, and she was going to come ask her what she wanted, but she wasn't there. But Sarah had heard her yelling behind that door a few seconds before she had opened it.

"Mom! Dad!" She screamed and ran down stairs, _her sister was gone._

_------------------------------------------------------------_

Mustang had been flirting with his most recent 'girlfriend', and Havoc had been feeling sorry for himself, and Riza had been getting fairly annoyed and the two of them and fought the urge to unsheathe her gun the entire time. So basically, it was your normal day. For them at least.

Well, that is until there was a bright flash of light and some random girl appeared in the middle of the room, out cold.

"I'll call you back," Mustang said hanging up the phone before the woman on the other end had the chance to respond.

"Where did she come from?" Fuery asked from behind his glasses.

"I don't know," Riza said reaching down and picking up a book that was by the girls' hand. "_Twilight_. Never heard of it."

"Nnnggghhh," The girl moaned.

"I think you get an answer to your question soon Fuery."

_---------------------------------------------------------_

_Man, my head. _Ember thought, beginning to regain consciousness.

She let out an involuntary groan. She was lying on some carpet somewhere; she was lying on her stomach and was in a very uncomfortable position.

A female voice said something but the splitting head ache was not helping matters when it came to understanding what people said at the moment. She reached out and put her hands on either side of her and tried to pick her self up, "Oh crap! Bad idea, very bad idea." Her muscles were screaming and she felt like she was covered in bruises, and it _hurt_.

Some one placed a hand on her shoulder, the woman, and said something in what Ember guessed was supposed to be a comforting voice. She groaned in reply. The woman said something again; all she could make out were 'help' and 'couch'. That seemed fairly promising.

She could feel two sets of hands pick her up and put her down on something that felt very couch-like. _That helps so much_.

"Can you understand what I'm saying?" Riza asked the girl.

"Yeah," she mumbled.

"Okay, who are you?"

"The names Ember Samuels. Where am I exactly?" She said finally opening her eyes.

"You're in the Eastern Military Headquarters."

Ember turned here head to look at the woman who was talking to her, "The w-," the question stopped in her throat. _Why does that woman look like she's that stupid anime Sarah loves so much?_ She looked down at her hand; she looked like she was drawn too! That's when it dawned on her. _Oh the irony…_

"What country?" She knew that the name of the place those people were from started with an 'A' so if she didn't say something that started with an 'A' she was safe, right?

"Ametris."

_Fudge monkeys' uncle. I'm gonna kill Sarah for this_

__________________________________________

Wierdo: So? What do you think?

_Both Ed and Ember open their mouths to complain_

Wierdo: Not you! The veiwers! And if you guys want me to post another chapter I want at least TWO reveiws!

Ed: I'M FREE!!!

Ember: I'm not...

Wierdo: SHUT UP!!!


	2. Chapter 2

Wierdo: HI!!! I am very proud of the long chapter I have for you today!!! And thank youto my wonderful reveiwers!!!

Ed: How many did you get?

Wierdo: TWO!!!

Ember: Thats not very much

Wierdo: Yeah, but it's two more than I thought I would get!

Ed/Ember: wwwoooooooowwwww....

Wierdo: Shut up! Take it away Al!

Al: How did I get here? (looking around)

Wierdo: Never mind that! Just say the disclaimer?

Al: Uhmm... (reading the lines from a cardboard sign Wierdo is holding up) XxWierdchikxX does not own Fullmetal Alchemist (Wierdo: darn it) but she does own Ember and any OC.

_

* * *

Sarah is going to die, _Ember thought angrily.

"Ametris?" She repeated.

The blonde woman in front of her nodded. _Not just any death, _she added to her angry thoughts, _The most painful death the world, no, the** Universe** has ever known! And then some more!_

"What are you doing here?" a tall man with black hair and an air of authority asked her.

She snorted, "Like I know. One minute I'm reading my book and the next I wake up here! Who are you guys any way?"

"I'm Hawkeye," The woman said motioning to herself, "That is Colonel Mustang," the tall black-haired guy, "Havoc," A dirty blonde man that looked slightly depressed, "Breda," a red-headed man, "Falman," a man with half white half black hair, "and Fuery," A slightly shy looking man with black hair and glasses.

Hearing his name seemed to snap him out of a trance or something, "Oh, is this yours?" Fuery asked holding out _Twilight._

"Yeah thanks," Ember said taking her book from the man. Looking at it she realized it was the only thing from home she still had besides the close on her back. She noticed that the hands holding the apple on the cover were drawn too.

"What is that book anyway, I've never heard of it before," He asked a sudden fire of curiosity in his eyes. He was a book worm like her.

She smiled at him. "You probably won't like it unless you're into romance novels," She replied.

"So you like romance do you?" Mustang said sitting down next to her.

_How stupid do I look?_

"Touch me and all of your pride will be gone in a flash you pervert," She threatened. "I'm only fourteen, and you're what? Thirty?"

Mustangs face paled slightly. "Just fourteen?" Havoc asked.

Ember sighed; she was always mistaken for being older than what she really was. She had always been tall for her age. She was only fourteen but was 5'10". Do you have any idea how many times someone has asked her if she was still in high school, _when she wasn't even in high school yet_?

"So I'm tall for my age what is so wrong with that?" She demanded.

"Teenagers these days!" Mustang said laughing, "First a fifteen year old gets mad if you call him short, now a fourteen year old gets mad if you call her tall!"

_Uhg, asshole_

* * *

"Thank you ma'am," Ember said walking out of the clothes store. They had decided to let Ember stay with an old friend of Mustangs named Master Marlow in a village not far from Eastern Head Quarters. Ember had noticed that the clothing was different here than it was back home, so she went to the local clothing shop to buy new clothes to fit in better.

As she was walking back to the house that she was staying at, she noticed that the streets were oddly disserted. _Where did everybody go?_

She heard a _bang _and looked in the general direction of the sound. _Damn it, Ember one day your curiosity is gonna get you killed. _She thought to her self and started to run down the street.

"GET AWAY!" She heard someone yell, and turned a corner just in time to see a man that could pass for a carnivals strong-man if he wanted to have his head explode. She knew that she should just keep her mouth shut and stay hidden, but her body apparently was having a malfuntion and disided to do the exact opposite of what she wanted it to do. Her fingers lost their grip on the package she was holding, and her mouth dropped open to let out an ear-splitting scream.

The man that was standing in front of strong-man turned to her. "Why are there always interferences when I do the work of God?" He asked, walking towards her.

"Ember run!" Master Marlow yelled from behind the man, "She can't even perform basic alchemy leave her alone!"

She tried to move, but her legs were frozen in place. _I guess curiosity **did** kill the cat,_ she thought to her self.

"Move!" She felt something hit her from the side and grab her arm and pull her towards a street. It was the short blonde guy from the anime, Fred, right? As they passed Master Marlow Fred grabbed him too.

"Its OK just leave me behind," He said.

"Master Marlow, no!" Ember had only been here a few days, but she had gotten to know Master Marlow as a kind, gentle man. And it would make her very sad if he died.

"You've really got to work on that attitude," Fred said.

"Fullmetal Alchemist Edward Elric, you won't escape either!"

_Oh, I guess its Ed, not Fred. Oops._

They zigzagged through the town streets and a _suit of armor_ came out from behind a wall. _Oh, yeah, he's Ed's big brother right? _"Ed, in here."

They ran into the arch that armor-guy was standing in, as they did so he used the circle to put a wall in between them and psycho. They all sighed in relief, and stopped to catch the

ir breath. Or at least, until the maniac _destroyed the freaking wall_.

They all started to run for their lives again, but the psychopath had to make the ceiling collapse in front of them.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?" Ed demanded.

"When there are creators in a society there must also be destroyers." He said back.

"Please, Ed take Al and Ember and run," Master Marlow begged.

Blondie respoded by clapping his hands and grabbing a near-by pole. There was a flash of light and there was a dagger in his hands. Ember had to hold back her gasp.

_Man, I am **never** going to get used to this... _

_"_My older brothers eyes were just like yours. Kind and strong, staring into the distance, as if looking at something that the rest of us could not see. It was three years ago, yes? I was glad you had given up becoming a state alchemist so I could take you off my list, but now..." Said the stupid X-face guy.

"Yeah but now, too bad isn't it?" Ed said launching himself at X-face.

"Too slow!" He said dodging Eds attack, and reached out with his god forsaken arm for the young state alchemist.

"Brother!" Tin-man said launching himself in between the mass murderer and his brother.

"Al!"

"Stay out of this, my ony enemies are state alchemist and the ones that stand in between," at the ones that stand in between part his eyes darted over to Ember. She pushed herself against the wall to get as far away from him as possible.

"Yeah, but why?"

"I come as a messenger of god, to carry out his judgements."

"I'm an Alchemist, too. I may not -" Al begain to say but was cut off by X-head.

"Why do you seek death?"

"I don't, but you said that you have an older brother. You should understand what its why I can watch you kill mine."

_Oh, I guess **he's** the younger brother. I not very good with details am I?_

"I know exactly what it is like, watching your brother be murdered before your very eyes. And you can't do a thing about it. In fact, maybe, **I'll show Ed**!"

"**_STOP!_**"

All eyes turned to the pale faced, terrified looking girl. _Crap, I realy need to learn to control my body._

"If you go around just killing them, aren't you just sinking down to their level? Revenge is never the answer, and what revenge do you have with them? They weren't even there!" She was scared out of her wits, she hated violence. Idiocy useualy led, not to the pain of the moron, but to innocent by-standers.

It looked like one of them were going to say something, but then there was a large explosion and large arrow head looking-type-things came flying at the murderer and out stepped Major Armstrong. He was the one that had escorted Ember to the village to meet with Master Marlow.

"I'm sorry I'm late."

_Great, I guess Mustang didn't like that pervert comment..._

* * *

Wierdo: Yay! End of chapter two!!!

Ed: (with false enthusiasm) wwoooooo

Al: Brother, be nice.

Ed: Sure, when loonies stop disgracing my name on this thing. Then I will be nice.

Wierdo: Like that will ever happen!


	3. Chapter 3

Wierdo: Welcome to chapter numero thres!

Al: What?

Ember: Number Three, she's speaking in spanish.

Wierdo: Any whoooo.... I know that I missed Easter, but I have a speacial surprise for you guys.

Al: Oh, I'll go get Ed.

Wierdo: No, its ok, Al, he wouldn't miss this for the world. (Evil Grin) LADIES AND GENTLE MEN, I GIVE YOU (Ed falls from the ceiling, he is bound and gagged. The ropes holding him in place tie at the back and faintly resemble a rabbits tale and his antenna is split in half so they resemble bunny ears.) THE EASTER EDDY!!!!!

Al: Brother!

Ember: I found Ed.

Ed: (now that the gag is off) WIERDO!!!

Random-person-no-one-knows-that-looks-nothing-like-Wierdo: Who's wierdo? Thats a weird name...

* * *

Ember, Ed, Al, and Master Marlow were running away from were the fight between Armstrong and that murderous lunatic was. Once they were sure that they were a safe distance away, they stopped and caught their breath.

"You dropped this," Ed said holding out the little red stone that Ember had seen Master Marlow using the day before when that little girl had broken her leg.

"How could you?" Ember said to the old man who was lying on the grass, they all turned to look at her in surprise. "If you die, do you have any idea what that would do to this town? I've seen people who have told me about how much you have done for them. I don't care what you think you're worthy of dying for, don't you dare _ever_ give up. You got that?"

"Uh, we should get going," Ed said, feeling slightly awkward. "We've all got legs, might as well use them."

* * *

"This way," Ed whispered as they ran across the street.

"Where are we going?"

"Does it matter? As long as we put some distance between us and that guy with the glasses," He turned to the woman who was apparently a waitress at the restaurant they were standing infront of, "Ma'am, have you got a back door?"

* * *

"I don't get it, why do you disserve to die just because _he's _from Ishbal?" Ed asked, finaly getting annoyed that he had no idea what was going on.

"That was no war. That was a massacre." He explained to the three teenagers what had really happened in the war, and why he felt so responsible.

"Ow! My ankle!" One of the near by playing children yelled as he fell on his foot in an odd angle.

"Let me help you son," he said with a kind look on his face. The look of a good man, not a murderer, Ember thought. "In the war there were doctors who would take care of the injured soldiers, no matter what side they were on. However, they were casualties too."

"It wasn't your fault; it was those damned big-wigs who forced you to do it!" Ember exclaimed to the dilutional old man.

"And there's no reason he should be coming after you; the bastards pulling people into this mess who had nothing to do with it," Ed said, agreeing with Ember.

"He wants revenge."

"Yeah and he's labeling it as gods will to make it sound noble, he's a fake!"

"Still, brother, if someone took you away from me; I think I would do the same thing. After all, that is equivalent exchange, right brother?" Al asked.

_That's a pretty jacked up exchange._

"No, that's not how the principle works. Haven't you learned that yet? The lost of one life wont bring back another. We all just need to live and be content with what we've got."

"Dr. Marco, why don't you let us hide you in our home town for a little while? It's just three days on a train from here, right, Al?" Ed suggested, the idea just popping in his head. "And your daughter can come, too," he added, nodding at Ember.

"I'm not his daughter," Ember said without thinking, and instantly regretted it. "I'm his niece," She quickly added.

"Well, anyway, you can stay with our friends, the Rockbells," Ed said after giving Ember a funny look.

"Rockbell?" His face took on a sudden look of terror. "No, I can't. I'm sorry I can't go there!" he said, running away from the teenagers.

"Dr. Marco, wait!" As they all took after him.

_I am definately going to be in shape by the end of **this** trip..._

"Listen it's your call. You don't have to go anywere you don't trust!" Ed told him. "We're not trying to steal your research."

"No, Ed, there are other resons I can't go there with you, I'm a stained man."

_What the crap?_

Just then there were gunshots, and...

_Great psyco's back._

Scar saw them, suddenly he lunged for Marco, but Al grabbed his arm before it was too late.

"This time I have an attack just for you!" And before Ember, or anyone could do anything, half of Al's body was gone, and he was _hollow._

"Al!" Ed ran at the murderous mad-man.

"I know your secret," Scar said, grabbing Eds Auto-mail arm, "and this sinful arm is your weakness." Before any of them had time to think, Eds arm was gone too.

"Brother!"

"And you." He said, turning on Ember, "You're not from this world."

"H-how?" Was all the terrified girl could choke out.

"Not only do your clothes give you away, but I killed you a long time ago, Nina."

_How does he know what my father called me?_

* * *

Wierdo: Ooooohhhhhh... Cliff Hanger...

Ember: You're weird...

Wierdo: WELL, DUH!

Ember: By the way, where are Ed and Al?

Wierdo: (with an Evil grin) Oh, they're practicing for the Fourth of July speacial.


	4. Chapter 4

Wierdo: Hi guys! This is my fourth chapter up! YAY!

Ember: Are Ed and Al still 'practicing'?

Wierdo: (pointing) No, look. Here they come!

(Fire works fly into the air and pop very loudly, a few moments later Ed lands with satisfying thud on the ground a few feet away.)

Wierdo: Preety!

Al: Brother! You're smoking!

Ed: (to Wierdo) YOU FREAKING LUNATIC! YOU COULD HAVE KILLED ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wierdo: Don't say things like that to your only brother, and besides where I come from some people take that as a complement. (Ed gets even madder)

Ember: You should run.

Wierdo: good idea (throws another firework at Ed and runs away)

Ember: Wierdo doesn't own Fullmetal Alchemist or any of its characters, just me and my family and any OC.

_

* * *

_

_A little girl, about three, is sitting at a table with crayons and paper, drawing pictures. She has long brown hair that is in two braids down her back. Suddenly she raises her large green eyes and jumps off the chair she was sitting on and runs to the doorway with a big smile on her face._

"_DADDY!"_

_She leaps into the arms of the man in the doorway; he is tall with glasses and whiskers. His hair is the same color as the little girls, if not a tad bit lighter. _

"_Hello how's my little Nina?"_

"_You know, Sean, your Spanish is horrible," A kind woman looking said from the other side of the room said with a giggle. "It's _Niña."

_Ember stood there, watching this scene with tears in her eyes, _Daddy…

_The scene changed around her, the little girl was dressed in black, rather than the green and denim dress she was wearing before. She had a slightly confused look on her face, everyone around her was clothed in black, too, and in tears as well._

_She looked up at her mother, "Mommy, why is everybody so sad?"_

_All her mother could do was bend down and hug her daughter as fresh tears streaked down her face._

_It changed again, this time the girl was standing outside of her mothers' office._

"… _You have to understand that what he was researching was illegal," A voice said from the other side of the door._

"_How dare you? My daughter and I are grieving my husbands' death and you are accusing him of being a crook? Get out of my house, __**now**__," the angry voice of the grieving widow said._

"_But he was planning to combine human DNA with…"_

"_I SAID GET OUT!"_

"_I just thought his family should know what kind of man he was," The man said opening the door, running into the little girl._

"_Why do you hate my daddy?"_

"_Because he was a very bad man."_

* * *

Ember jolted out of sleep so quickly, she acualy fell off of the counch she was laying on.

"Are you alright?" Al asked.

Ember, still stightly drousy, took a moment to remeber why she wasn't in her bed at home. It was then that she realized that she had tears in her eyes, she quickly wiped them away. "Yeah," she said, rubbing the back of her head which had hit the arm of the couch when she fell. "What happened?"

She looked around and mustang and his subordintes and Armstrong and someone else she didn't know.

"You fainted," said a black haired man with glasses said from the other side of the room whom she had never met before.

"No, realy? I hadn't noticed," she wasn't very pleasing when she first woke up, "I mean _after_ that part."

"Dr. Marco is now in military custody," Ember felt her eyes widen, "And we have some questions for you," Mustang said.

"What?"

"A few years ago a little girl was turned into a chimera, after which she was murdered," he continued, if she had been wider awake she would have noticed that when this was said Ed's face become sad.

"What does that have to do with me?"

"What is your full name and who was your father?"

"I'm Ember Anitta Turner Samuels and my father was Sean Turner." Several slightly startled looks were given to her.

"And why did Scar call you Nina?"

"Who?"

"The man who was chasing you."

"Well, I don't know why _he_ called me that, but that was what my father used to call me. He got it from Anitta, which was my great - grandmothers name, and also my mother was half hispanic and in the spanish language _niña _means girl. So he always called me his little Nina."

"Called?"

"He -," She felt her eyes fall to her feet, and another tear rolled down her face, "He died when I was four."

"OH, MISS SAMUELS YOU POOR CHILD!" Armstrong swept Ember into a bone crushing hug.

"Res.. Pratory... System... failing..." She choked out.

"DON'T WORRY! YOU'LL BECOMING WITH THE ELRIC BROTHERS AND I TO HAVE EDWARDS ARM FIXED!"

"Breathing... would... be nice..." He finaly set her down to flex his muscles.

"THE GREAT KINDNESS IS A TRAIT PASSED DOWN THE ARMSTONG LINE FOR GENERATIONS!"

_Wow, I've never seen **that** kind of kindness in my **entire** life!_

"You should pack up, you're leaving tomorrow morning," Hawkeye said while the over-muscular giant went on about his family tree.

"Easy enough. Can I have my book back?" When she went to 'Master Marlow's she had left her copy of _Twilight_ with Hawkeye so that she wouldn't lose it. Riza gave her the book.

"Packed."

* * *

Wierdo: Well??? Whatcha think?

Ember: Well...

Wierdo: Shut up!

Ember: *shrugs* any way wheres Ed?

Al: I was wondering the samething.

Wierdo: IT'S A MYSTERY!!! dun Dun DUN!!!


	5. Chapter 5

Wierdo: Hi guys! Welcome to my *drumroll* 5TH CHAPTER! YAY!

Ember: Wow, I never thought you would get _that_ far!

Wierdo: (slightly heart) What's that suppose to mean?

Ember: You just tend to lose intrest in somethings alot of the time.

Wierdo: How do you know that? MINDREADER!!!

Ember: I'm part of your mind! By the way, where is Ed and Al?

Wierdo: Oh, Al's visiting Ed.

Ember: 'visiting'?

Wierdo: Yeah, Ed's in hospital. Some how he a third degree burn all around his body, I wonder how he managed that!

Ember: (slightly nervouse) Um, maybe we should just begin the story?

Wierdo: YEAH! Winry, TAKE IT AWAY!

Winry: Wierdo does not own FullMetal Alchemist or anything in it, just Ember and her family.

* * *

"Where are we going again?"

"Rizenbool."

"And that would be?"

"Mine and Al's home town! Now can you please just shut up?!" This girl was really getting on Ed's last nerve.

"Geez Louis, talk about the negative type," Ember mumbled to herself. They were on a train, heading to Rising Bowl or what-ever it was.

"WHAT AN ODD SAYING! I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF IT BEFORE!" Armstrong yelled in her ear.

"Uh, yeah. It's a really common fraise where I come from," she said nervously while rubbing her aching ear.

"By the way, where is that exactly?" Ed said, leaning across the table in between them.

"Very far away," was all she said, looking out the window with a slightly depressed look on her face. _Mom, Sarah…_

"Now, who's being negative?" He said with a smirk.

"Watch it, Blondie," She snapped.

"What does hair color have anything to do with it?"

She was about to say something when her ear drum was almost blown out of her ear, _again._ "PLEASE DO NOT FIGHT! WHEN YOU CAN BECOME FRIENDS!" Major Loud-Mouth said, no bellowed, yet again.

"WILL YOU STOP TRYING TO BOW MY EARS OUT?" Ember screamed in the giants own ear, and began grumbling to herself. _I'm going to be deaf by the time I get back home!_

There was an awkward silence when she noticed something, "Hey, where's Al?"

"He's in the cargo hold, it would have been too hard to explain him that way," Ed answered.

Even though Ember felt sorry for Alphonse, burst out laughing. "If Al is anything like Sarah when he's peeved, you better run like hell once you've fixed his armor!"

"Sarah?"

"She's my little sister, if I ever did anything to her like that, she would throw me off a cliff."

"Is it possible that we have ever met?"

"No, she's at home with my mom and step-dad."

"Oh, yeah, your dad died, didn't he? What happened?" Ed looked truly interested.

"He died, that's what happened," She stood up abruptly and went directly to the bathroom. _Damn it, why is it that the most painful memories are the ones these lunies keep asking me about?_

* * *

"So, where's your house?" Ember said, looking around the tiny town that the train pulled up to. It kind of reminded her of her home town, but back home there was electricity.

"It was over there," Ed said, pointing to a hill with a large tree on top.

"What happened? Was there an earthquake or something?"

"Or something," Ed said glumly as he walked towards a yellow house on top of a nearby hill.

_Way to be cheerful, Ed._

They were already walking up to the garden gates when and old woman came up to them. She was very... petite, but she looked strong, yet kind at the same time. Along with her was a big black dog with a metal front leg, barking all the way over.

"Hello to you too, Den," Ed said with a small laugh and a smile, and looking at the woman, "Old Lady Pinako. It's been a long time. I need some more of your handy work."

"You sure did a number this time, I don't why you find it so hard to keep your arms," She said, examining the damage. "And who is this?" She asked, noticing Ember.

"Ember Samuels, nice you meet you," Ember said waving her hand slightly in greeting.

"Hello, I'm Pinako Rockbell, an old family friend of Ed and Als. Now any way we sould get some measurements for your auto-mail, Ed. Hmm, it seems you've gotten shorter."

"WHO YOU CALLING SHORT, YOU MINIATURE SIZED HAG!" Ed and Pinako ranted back and forth.

"EDWARD ELIC! HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO YOUR ELDER WITH SUCH BLATEN DISRESPECT!" Armstrong questioned, getting inbetween the two of them an ripping his shirt off, yet again.

"Who's this guy? He doesn't get the joke, does he?" Pinako asked, pointing to the huge man.

"Alex Louis Armstrong at your service," he said, finaly not yelling for once, and held out his hand to the small woman.

"Flattered," She said taking his hand.

"Edward!" A wrench went flying through the air and hit Ed in the middle of his face.

"DAMN IT WINRY I BUY YOU A WRENCH AND YOU TRY TO KILL ME WITH IT!"

"WELL APPARENTLY YOUR TRYING TO KILL YOURSELF! JUST WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO?" A blond girl said from the second floor of the house.

* * *

Winry was currently yelling at the two Elric brothers while Pinako and Ember stood on the other side of the room.

"Don't worry about them, they're always like this," Pinako assured the fourteen year old when she looked worredly at the brothers. "Would you like something to drink?" Ember nodded, and the old woman went in the direction of what Ember assumed was the kitchen.

Just then Winry wipped out a wrench and both of the boys suddenly had a look of complete terror cross their faces. Ember couldn't help but smirk, _girl power_.

"It's not dangerous is it?" She said with threatening tones.

"They're just going to the library." Ember said, surprising Winry.

"Oh, I didn't see you there. I'm Winry Rockbell," She said in such a change of atitude that it took Ember a few seconds to recover.

"Ember Samuels."

_Is this a world of bipolar people or something?_

"It's nice to meet you. Sorry you had to see all of that," she said looking slightly embarassed.

"No, it's perfectly fine. My mother always used to say, 'Nothing is worse than a womans scorn'." Ember said with a laugh.

"I like you! We're gonna be great friends!" Winry said with a smile, "While you're here, you can stay in my room!"

"Cool." They all looked at her with slightly confused, blank looks.

"Um, that means that it's a good thing," she added.

* * *

"Hey, Al, what's up?" Ember said comming around the corner of the house next to Al.

"What?" He said with a face that looked about as confused as a suit of armor could get.

"What are you doing?" She sat down next to him.

"Just thinking," he replied.

"Ah." They both just stared out into space for a minute or two untill Al broke the silence.

"Um, Ember?"

"Yeah?"

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but what exactly happened to your father?"

She looked at him and looked away, after a moment she sighed. "He... he was a biologist and he was very dedicated to his job, but his priorities were always in the order of family, friends, and then work." She paused, "That is, untill the last year he was still alive. He just started to become more and more distant, and he was home less and less. One day, Mom and I had just come home after she picked me up from pre-school, she went up stairs to my dads office to talk to him." She paused again to take a deep breath, "But when she opened the door, my fathers blood was splattered all over the walls. He was in his chair with the gun that we had kept just in case of a burglary or something in his hand."

"I'm sorry," Al said, and brother thought that they had it bad.

"It's not your fault. It was that basterds. Do you know what my mother was going to tell him? She was pregnant, and it was with twins too." She said with tears threatening to fall down her face, she quickly wipped them away before Al could see.

"I didn't know you had any siblings."

"Sibling, my little brother didn't live to be much more than two hours old because of some birth defect. And you know if he hadn't of done that my little sister would have accualy called her own biological father, and not some replacement, daddy? She never even met her own father."

"You don't like your step-father?"

"No he... He just isn't my dad. My dad died long before that bastard did."

"Oh." Al said, slightly confused by that last part, but he dropped it.

There was another slightly awkward silence as they both cept to their own thouhts. "Hey, Al?"

"Yes?"

"You guys tend to get into trouble, right?" Al looked at her.

"Um, well... it's not that..." Al looked slightly embarassed.

"Well, if I'm going to be traveling with you guys, I want you to teach me how to fight." Ember looked strait at him with a fierce determination in her eyes.

* * *

You see Ed in a hospital bed, covered from head to toe in bandages.

Wierdo: He He, you look like a mummy!

Winry: EDWARD! LOOK AT WHAT YOU DID TO MY AUTO-MAIL, IT'S COMPLETELY SINGED! (she throws a screwdriver at him and it narrowly misses his head, implanting itsself in the wall.)

Al: Brother!

Ember: What happened to your wrench?

Winry: I couldn't find it, so I settled for the screwdriver. And besides, (evily) _screwdrivers have pointy bits at the end_.

Wierdo: (nervously) uh hehe... REVEIW!


	6. Chapter 6

(You hear mexican music and see Wierdo dancing around in a giant sombrero.)

Ed: What are you doing?

Winry: That's a weird hat...

Al: She's acting strange - even for her.

(Ember walks in)

Wierdo: HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO!

Ed, Winry, and Al: What's that?

Ember: It's the day Mexico won it's independence from France. (the three of them just stand there and look confused)

Wierdo: (singing anlong to the trumpet part in the music) Wie-e-e-e-erdo do-o-o-o-oes no-o-o-o-ot o-o-o-o-own F-F-F-F-F-M-A-A-A!

Ember: Wow, and she's not even part hispanic.

Wierdo: And you are! Celebrate! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!

* * *

"I want you to teach me how to fight."

"What?" Al just stared at Ember, dumbfounded.

"I'm not the world's most athletic person and I'm not exactly coordinated, but if I'm going to be traveling with you I don't want to be a burden. Besides, if we get split up or something and the psycho shows up, I'm going to have to know how to defend myself," She wasn't looking him in the face.

"But…"

"Please, I hate being a helpless little girl and just standing on the side lines. I want to be able help somehow or be less of a worry." She turned to look at him with determined eyes. "You don't have to teach me the kick-ass type of fighting that I know you guys use, but at the very least show me how to defend myself."

"You really want to get back home, don't you?" He asked.

"Yeah, back home it was only a few more days until my sisters tenth birthday," she said with a nod.

"There you are!" Winry said, coming around the house. "Dinner's almost ready."

"Ooh, what are we having tonight?" Ember said with enthusiasm.

"Beef stew."

"Yum! I love beef stew, my grandma always made the best!" She said, clapping her hands together.

"Really? Well your grandma is going to get her stew blown away!" Winry said playfully.

"Never in a million years!" Ember joked back.

* * *

"Well, pipsqueak," Pinako said over dinner, "Looks like your auto mail will be ready to be replaced by tomorrow."

"DON'T CALL ME A PIPSQUEAK YOU FLEA OF A HAG!" Ed's annoyed response was.

"WHO YOU CALLIN' A HAG, DWARF?"

Everyone else just continued to eat, the first day there Ember had been worried but she got used to it.

"So, how's your grandma's stew competing?" Winry asked over the fighting midgets.

"Oh, this is a tough competitor, but my grandmas is spicy!" Ember replied, putting emphasis on the last word.

"Ugh, _spicy."_

_"_What's wrong with spicy?"

And so the rest of the evening went along those lines until bedtime. Ember and Winry were in her room, setting up Embers pallet on the ground.

"Ember? Do you think you can do me a favor?" The blonde girl asked.

"As long as it doesn't require me jumping off of a cliff or something insane like that," was the reply.

Winry cracked a small smile at the joke. "Well, Ed and Al are practically family to me and Grandma, so we care a lot about them, but they never let us know how they're doing, in fact, this is the first time we've seen them since they left four years ago." Ember nodded, "So naturally we worry about them a lot. And, well – do you think that maybe every once and awhile you could call or write a letter so we know that they're still alive?"

"Yes, of course," Ember said with a nod. "It's only natural, and besides I probably would have written you every once and awhile anyway. What are friends for?"

Meanwhile, in the guest room where the boys were staying…

"Brother?"

"Yeah, Al?"

"It's about Ember," The younger said.

"Yeah, what about her?" Ed asked.

"Have you noticed how much she's like Nina?"

Ed froze, he had to admit, it was true. Her blue-green eyes were maybe one or two shades lighter, if any, than Nina's, and her long brown hair was barley even darker than the little girls. Not to mention, she tended to ask a lot of questions, too. "What is this about Al?"

"Why do you think she's here? She said that her father died when she was around the same age as Nina was when… that happened and today she said that her father was a scientist. Not to mention all of those things she has in common with her. She has to be here for a reason. Equivalent exchange, right?"

"I don't know, Al, but just be careful around her, ok?"

"Yeah."

* * *

"MISS EMBER, IT IS TIME TO WAKE UP AND GREET THE BEAUTIFUL DAY THAT AWAITS US!" Winry awoke with a jolt when the giant burst into the room, but Ember just mumbled something and rolled over.

_And I thought Ed was a deep sleeper, _she thought to herself.

"Umm, Ember, _Ember_…" Winry said, trying to shake the sleeping teen out of slumber.

"Fifemorminismom," She mumbled and rolled over again. (Translation: Five more minutes, mom.)

"What is taking you guys so long?" Ed said, walking into the doorway. When he say what was going on he bent over her and, "HEY WAKE UP!"

"HUH?!" She had been lying on the side facing Ed and she had been awakened so suddenly that she accidentally slapped him in the face while she bolted upright. Ed fell over and she looked around. "What's going on?"

Winry sweat dropped, _violent sleeper._

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?" Ed yelled at the half-asleep girl.

"What was what for?"

"YOU SLAPPED ME!"

"When?"

"JUST NOW!"

"Oh, well, I was still so asleep I probably don't remember."

"WHY YOU –"

"Hey, the sun still isn't up yet," Ember said, looking out the window. "Why am I? Goodnight everyone."

"NO, MISS SAMUELS! YOU MUSN'T WE HAVE TO BE PACKED TODAY AS EDWARD SHALL HAVE HIS ARM AND LEG REPLACED AND WE LEAVE FIRST THING TOMORROW!" Major Armstrong hugged her so hard that she was now wide awake.

"My… Res… Pratory… system… failing…" she choked out.

_Jeez, what is with the people here?_

* * *

Wierdo: HEY, LOOK! IT'S AN ED PINATA!

Al: BROTHER!


	7. Chapter 7

Wierdo: Hmm... Were is everybody? (looks around) You know for someone inside there own head, its pretty easy to get lost... (sees cookie) COOKIE!!!

(Runs over to cookie and bends down to pick it up, but pops up right before a net pulls up to reveal *gasp* a trap)

Wierdo: Oh, yeah! I don't own FMA, thank you! Oh, and thanks to all of you who reveiwed and/or favorited and/or put my story on your story alert. (looks at the spot the cookie was) Hey, Where'd the cookie go?

Ed: (poping up from behind some near by bushes) Damn it! I give up!!!

Wierdo: On what? And its not nice to swear.

* * *

"Umm, Major Armstrong, sir?"

"Hmm?" The oversized man said looking at Winry.

"I think that Ember would like to get dressed now."

Looking at the girl in his arms that was now a lovely shade of purple, he said, "OF COURSE! I SHALL ALOW YOU LADEYS TO DRESS! MR. ELRIC AND I SHALL BE IN THE DINNING ROOM, EATING BREAKFAST!" He said, letting go of the girl and grabbing the blonde boy and walking out of the room. "DID YOU KNOW THAT THE ARMSTRONG FAMILY…"

"Hey, Winry?" Ember said from where Armstrong had dropped her.

"Mmm?"

"Thanks."

* * *

"One, Two… THREE."

Ed bit back the scream of pain and thrust his head back instead.

"You three, get up. We're going to put him over there. We could use some help!" Pinako said hurriedly.

Ember let Major Armstrong do it, she would just get in the way anyway.

* * *

**Samuels House Hold  
August 3, 2009, 9:00AM**

"This has to be the worst birthday, in the history of birthdays," Sarah Samuels mumbled through her tear stained face into her mother's shoulder.

"I know sweet-pea, I know," the devastated woman said, stroking her daughters head.

Just a few days ago, Ember Anitta Turner Samuels disappeared. Completely gone. Not even the book she had been reading at the time had been there. Everyone in the house was heart-broken; Ember had been a kind, smart girl who loved her family. Now, she was missing, but the one that felt the guiltiest was her baby sister, Sarah.

If she had gone to her sister sooner, maybe, just maybe, she would still be there. Not to mention the harsh words that the two had shared just moments before the incident.

"Why would anyone do this?" She asked, if she had any tears left, she would have been crying. And the same went for anyone in the house.

"I don't know, baby," The woman said, holding on to her remaining child. "But you know, your big sister would be very angry with us if I didn't give you the present she wanted you to have." She got up and walked to her bedroom and brought back a box and an envelope.

"Ember worked really hard in order to get the money for this and then to find it," She said handing Sarah the box.

If it had been any other birthday, she would have torn off the wrapping paper with glee, but not today. She carefully peeled away the paper with care, trying to make sure that something that her sister had left for her would be in good condition. When she finally opened it she let out a gasp.

Inside the box was the entire boxed set of Fullmetal Alchemist on DVD, plus the movie and the first two volumes of the manga. "But she hated it."

"But she loved you, you're her only little sister." She looked down at the envelope in her hand, "Before even your sister was born, there was an old woman who would come by once a week just to see us. She was so sweet, and there were rumors that she was psychic. I actually didn't find out that I was pregnant from a doctor, but from her. She even named the day that Ember was going to be born. She died of old age about a month before Ember was born, but before she died she gave me this and told me to give it to the twin that survived on her tenth birthday." She handed Sarah the envelope, who then opened it.

In it was a letter and an old photograph, Sarah read the letter first and then looked at the photo that came with it and burst into tears.

* * *

Wierdo: Okay, Okay. I know it was really short, but it seemed like a good place to stop to me...

Ed: I think your just lazy.

Al: Brother, be nice.

Ed: Since when have I been nice?

Winry: You know, he has a point.

(Wierdo and Ember nod there heads.)

Wierdo/Ember: Yeah...

Ed: HEY!!!


	8. Chapter 8

Wierdo: Hi! Sorry (again) for taking so long! I had this whole chapter written and was abou to get on fan fiction to upload it when my computer died.

Ed: How can an inanimate object die?

Wierdo: IT JUST CAN OK!

Ed: If I weren't stuck in your brain, I would think that you were lying

Wierdo: SHUT UP!!!

Ember: (as Wierdo and Ed keep arguing) Anyway, Wierdo only owns me and my family. Please don't continue reading.

Wierdo: HEY!

* * *

_It's now official, I hate trains,_ Ember thought angrily. Her butt was painfully sore, she was wedged between Al and the window, and every now and then the damn thing would lurch, so she never got to really go to sleep before be abruptly woken up.

"Ember," Al asked, "Are you Okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just tired that's all."

"Oh, would you like me to move?"

"No, I'm fine. This stupid train just keeps waking me up," She said grumpily. "Although, hobbit over there doesn't seem to be having that problem." She added, nodding to Ed.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING –," Ed said jolting out of sleep, subconsciously knowing that Ember had just insulted him. "What the hell is a hobbit?"

"It's a race of peoples from a book. They're all really short and have hairy feet." Ember could see the vein popping on Ed's forehead.

"Why did Colonel Bastard even send you with us?" He asked angrily. "AND DON'T CALL ME SHORT!"

"To heck if I know, and I can and will call you whatever I want to, _hobbit_. You should feel honored, in the Lord of the Rings the main character and the hero was a hobbit, but of course Frodo was much more agreeable than you are."

"PLEASE DO NOT FIGHT IT –," Armstrong began.

"OH, PUT A SOCK IN IT! CAN'T YOU PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF SLEEP! GOD!" Ember snapped at the man.

"We'll some ones in a sour mood," Ed said.

"Brother," Al scolded.

"I'm grouchy when I'm sleep deprived, so sue me," She said, shifting until she finally found a semi-comfortable position. She was out like a light within the next few moments. In the end she had her head resting against Al's arm and her legs were pulled up next to the wall.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Central!" Edward exclaimed with a huge smile on his face.

"Can you please stop yelling? I just woke up, thank you," Ember said grumpily.

"You're not really much of a morning person are you?" Al said.

"Let me put it this way: either I'm very irritable, or I'm a zombie for a while."

"Why are we standing her talking when the library's waiting for us?" Ed said, running towards the exit.

"Brother, wait!" "Oh, come on!" The two remaining teenagers yelled as they ran after the short blonde boy.

"Hurry up you guys! The library's waiting!" Ed called over his shoulder before he stopped abruptly at the sight of two soldiers saluting him. One was an average build blonde man with bangs that came down over his eyes; the other was a woman with short dark hair and a mole underneath her left eye.

Ember, who didn't see Edward stop in time, ran straight into him. "Jeez! Will you give a warning next time?"

"Are you OK?" Al asked.

"Yeah," she replied.

Then the two saluting soldiers listed off all of this official sounding stuff with a lot of 'Sir's in it, in reply to it Armstrong asked them to introduce themselves. Maria Ross and Demy Bloch were the names that they proudly stated with a pleasure to meet you Mr. Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric. There was only one problem, they said this to Al.

"Um, you're talking to the wrong guy," Al informed them, pointing to the now annoyed Ed with a black aura surrounding him. Ember, meanwhile, was trying to hold back the fits of laughter building in her throat.

"You mean this little guy?" At the look on Ed's face, Ember could no longer hold back her laughter.

_Okay, I may not like it here, but it can be pretty entertaining!_

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

Wierdo: NEXT CHAPTER, SHESKA! (did I spell it right?) Please review! theys makes mes happys... s

Ed: Loon

Wierdo: YAY! I'm a bird!

* * *


	9. Chapter 9

Wierdo: CHAPTER TEN! WOOO! I'M IN THE TWO DIDGETS! (**Edit: Yeah I know that it's chapter nine, but i uploaded this before my uh-oh in chappie 8)**

Ed: Of insanity.

Wierdo: Silence! Now be for we begin... MY SISTER IS NOW A MEMBER OF FANFICTION!

Ed: Great, I get enough from y- (Ed is silenced by a very large rock)

Wierdo: LIZ!

Liz: Hi, sis!

Ember: I'm scared.

Al: Me too.

Wierdo: She is FFFMAgurl if you are interested! **(Edit: she is now known as Liz the Dragon Alchemist)**

Liz: And I'm currently working on a FMA/Eragon crossover,so look out for it!

Wierdo: On with the story!

_

* * *

_

_The world just hates them, doesn't it?_

At the moment the trio of teenagers and the three officers were standing in front of the pile-of-ashes-formally-known-as-the-first-branch. Ed was still in shock as he bent down to pick up one of the books that was half gone, and it crumbled after a second or two.

"Our first solid lead is now a pile of ashes," He muttered to himself.

Even though the midget annoyed the heck out of Ember, she couldn't he but feel sorry for them. All they wanted was to see their mother one last time, and they were mutilated the way they were. Al isn't even able to eat food, and even though he never says anything about it, it's pretty obvious that he misses it, dearly. Ed doesn't even disserve this, he was just a kid and two of his limbs were torn away, then he was forced to join the army to help his little brother.

"Eye witnesses say that they saw Scar in the area just before the fire started," Ross reported.

_Asshole._

Then Ember was struck with an idea. "Were they able to save any of the books?" She asked the officials standing behind her.

"Y-yes, the two librarians are in the main building," Bloch replied, slightly caught off guard by her sudden burst of energy (Ember had still been half-asleep in the car so she wasn't that talkative).

"Well, then what are we standing around for?" she said running to the two brothers. "Come on, squirt," she added grabbing Ed by his braid and hooking her arm around Al's arm and pulling them into the library.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING…"

OoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

"Maybe she's not home," Al suggested after Bloch knocked on the door for the thousandth time.

Somehow they ended up going to this girl who used to work at the first branch's house.

"Well, if she isn't, she sure knows how to take up a lot of energy, the lights are still on," Ember said while looking through the window. "She's probably no help with Global Warming," She added under her breath.

"I'm going in," Ed said.

"You can't do that."

"Hello, Miss Sheska?" Ed called into the house, completely ignoring Ross.

"Oh. My. God." Ember gasped.

"There's twelve hundred books in there!" Ed commented.

"I can't believe someone lives in that," Bloch added.

There wasn't a spot in the place that didn't have at least a dozen books on it, but it seemed to be vacant of any life forms visible to the human eye. That is, until the small voice of someone drifted up from a pile of books in the middle of the room.

"Help, someone please? Help me!"

OoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

"I'm so sorry to cause so much trouble to you," the small mousy girl said, bowing her head at the exhausted, panting people in front of her. "They always said I would die with my head in a book, I just never thought they meant it literally."

Ed and the girl named Sheska got into a conversation that consisted of Ed asking her questions about the library and she looking very sad when she replied. It turns out that the book that the two brothers were looking for was in there after all.

"That means that it burned, too," Ed and Al looked as if it was the Apocalypse.

"W-well, if you want, I could reproduce it for you," Sheska meekly offered.

"You can do that?" Ember asked, interested.

"Y-yes."

"Cool, my grandma was like that! It was really amazing until I messed up, I never lived anything down," She said to the surprised Sheska.

_But Grandma was never as shy as **that** though…_

* * *

Liz: Review!

Wierdo: Yes!

Liz: My story!

Wierdo: Hey...

Liz: Love ya sis, BYE! (Liz runs off)


	10. Chapter 10

Wierdo: I'M SO PROUD OF MY SELF!

Winry: Why?

Wierdo: I ACCUALLY UPDATED WITHIN A WEEK OF MY LAST CHAPTER!!! YAY! (does happy dance) And thank you, those of you that reviewed, or favorited, or put my story under the alert thingy! THANK YOU!!!

Ed: She's very happy, should I be scared?

Al: I don't know.

Ember: Wait is your sister here again?

Wierdo: No.

Ember: Then why are you so happy?

Wierdo: GAH!!! DON'T YOU PEOPLE LISTEN?!?!?!?!

Ed: It depends, are you talking?

Winry: (throw's a wrench at Ed, knocking him out) EDWARD, BE NICE!

* * *

"Here it is!" Sheska said with a big smile on her face. "It was a really big book so it took me a few days."

"That's okay," Al said to her kindly.

"It's a cook book," Ember said looking at the cover.

"Yeah, well, you know what they say, alchemy was born in the kitchen," Ed said.

And so began the very long research period of the two brothers, with Ember on the side reading any fiction novels she could find in the library. Surprisingly there were very few.

"Why don't you help?" Ed asked one day, looking over to Ember who was sitting next to a bookshelf.

"Because all I know about elements is how to read the periodic table and that you don't light magnesium on fire if you don't want to be blown up, I would just slow you down," She said, turning the page in her book without looking up.

_She's almost as bad as Brother when she reads_, Al thought. _But she acknowledges the world around her… _

OoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

She was skipping through the house to open the door, and found a blonde boy on the ground with Alexander on top of him.

"No, Alexandwer," She scolded him and received a bark and a tale wag.

"Nina, come back inside," her father told her.

Then the scene changed, it was snowing – flowers? She let laughed in delight, "its little big brother!" She exclaimed to the large suit of armor she was sitting on.

Now she was back in the house, looking at the sad face of the blonde boy and the suit of armor, "Will you com pway wiff me?" She asked them sadly.

"Of course we will," the armor replied and the boy nodded.

After they left she went to her father's study, "Daddy, you're gonna do good on your test?"

"Yeah, sweet pea, Daddy's going to do just fine," he replied, bending down to hug his daughter.

She was now sitting in a circle – like what big brother made for her once, but this one was different – with Alexander. "Daddy?"

"Don't worry, Nina, you're going to be just fine," he said, bending down to touch the circle…

OoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

"DAMN IT!"

"Hhnna?" Ember said, jolting out of sleep by the yell from across the room – but just this once, she was thankful for the rude awakening.

"How could this be possible?" Ed questioned his hand over his face.

"I don't know," Al answered.

"What is it?" Ember asked.

"All this time, all these years of searching, and this is the answer we get?" Ed said, his voice shaking with every word.

"WHAT IS IT?"

"The secret to make a philosophers stone, the only way to make it work; lives, human lives, and in mass numbers."

Ember gasped.

OoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

"Why don't we look at it again?" Al suggested later that night in the room they were staying in.

"No, I've looked at it enough," Ed said from his spot in the couch. Ember looked up from where she was on one of the beds with her knees pulled up to her chin.

"But what if our code is wrong? What if we missed a paragraph with a loop-hole?"

"I SAID ENOUGH!" Ed said turning around, hitting a tea cup that was sitting on the table and sent it flying into Al's face.

Everyone paused as the pieces of porcelain and the papers in Al's hands fell to the floor. "Brother?" Al said in a heartbroken voice.

"Is something wrong, sir?" Ross asked coming in, but stopping when she sensed the air of unease.

"It's just a broken cup, back in the hall," Ed said indifferently. "Sorry, Al."

"Yeah."

"So that's the end of it? You won't regret it then? Giving up before you're finished?" She asked, bending down to pick up the fallen papers. "I didn't realize that what you were searching for was so incidental that you would abandon it this easily." Ember got up and began to help her along with Al.

"Stop going on like you know what you're talking about," Ed said without turning around. "You don't know anything."

"You're wrong, Ed," She replied. "I know that what you're looking for is the philosopher's stone," Everyone in the room looked at her, even Ed sat up a looked, "and I know that it's created by sacrificing human lives." Bloch looked truly surprised at this. "I know it was uncalled for, but I was listening through the door."

"Well, if you eavesdropped, then you must know, it's pointless to go after it now, leave us alone," Ed said, turning back around and laying down on the couch.

"You really are a child aren't you?" Ed started up and looked at her with angry eyes. "You're scared of it; you're terrified to admit that everything you've done was wasted effort. Am I wrong?"

Ed put his auto-mail hand over his face. "It's okay to feel lost, and not have reasons," standing up as she said it, "verifying if Marco's research was the truth or not it worth something in its self, if you ask me. After all, what you're looking for is a lot bigger than you, or Al. Why don't you keep searching for a while? Without worries about the end result."

Ember smiled, Ross was good people in her book. Just for that. She was the kind of person who see's the silver lining in the clouds.

"You're right; it's just like a book. Just because you're mad and stop reading doesn't change the end result," Ed said.

"Yeah," Ember agreed.

"That's right!" Al added.

"We've had plenty of road blocks and we've conquered them all, I'll be damned if we give up now," Ed continued.

OoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

"Dr. Marco's research is sound in theory, but it's still never made a perfect philosopher's stone," Ed said.

They were all currently surrounding the coffee table in the middle of the room.

"So there still might be other methods," Al commented.

"Right, but let's check his method first. I want to see the truth of it with my own eyes," Ed agreed. "Wait a second," He pulled out a piece of paper and looked at it. "At the bottom of the page, like an afterthought."

"Hmm?"

"Genuine truth, behind truth… Of course! He was saying there's still something more!" Ed exclaimed.

"Like what?" Ember asked.

"I need a map," he informed them, and once they had one laid down on the table he said, "According to the data you would need a massive facility, a whole complex."

"Well, there are currently four alchemic laboratories running under the military's watch," Bloch said. "They're all pretty big. I know Dr. Marco was assigned here," he pointed at the map, "The third lab."

"No, I already went to all four labs in the city, and there wasn't anything remarkable going on, just a lot of fast talking bureaucrats," Ed replied.

"Hey, what about this?" Al pointed to a spot on the map labeled 5th Laboratory.

"There used to be a fifth lab, but they closed it down years ago," Bloch said.

"That's it," Ed said in a confident tone, "Look, there's a prison right next door."

"So they had a spacious lot of federal land, what are you getting at?" Ross asked.

"Because you need human lives," Ember said in realization.

Ed nodded, "And wouldn't it be convenient to have a state controlled supply?"

"You don't think they used convicts?"

"Why not? You couldn't have a cleaner plan. Take the condemned prisoners, say they're executed, and then use them for experiments. Who was running this Laboratory?" Ed asked.

"Lab five, it was run by General Gran," Ross said.

"And he was killed by Scar, as you're obviously aware," Bloch added.

By looking at the look on Edward's face Ross could clearly tell what he was planning, "Now hold on a minute, don't you go running around Central. Scar is still on the loose and this is grown-up's work from here on out," Ed opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by Ross, "Bloch and I will go look around the area, if we see anything out of the ordinary we'll come back with a full report. It's our duty," she said the last with a bow.

"She has a point," Al said.

"Yeah, she does," Ember agreed.

"Alright, I clearly can't argue with you," Ross looked up with a smile. "You guys can take care of it."

OoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

"What happed to 'You guys can take care of it'?" Ember asked as Ed lowered a rope that he had transmuted out of the window.

"I change my mind," Ed said. "Now are you coming or what?"

Ember sighed, "Okay, okay. Just, one of you go down first to catch me. Gravity is not very fond of me."

"I'll go first," Al said.

_Will I ever get my life back to normal?_ Ember thought as she carefully lowered herself down the rope.

* * *

Wierdo: So waddya think?

Ember: Well...

Wierdo: Why do you always do that?

Ember: Do what?

Wierdo: SAY 'well...' EVEN THOUGH I TELL YOU EVERYTIME THAT I MEAN THE REVIEWERS!

Ember: I'm your creation, it's not my fault I have short-term memory loss.

Wierdo: SHUDDUP!!! Please review, my wonderful readers...


	11. Chapter 11

Wierdo: Hi guys, today I'm too exausted to write a witty introduction thingy-ma-hoosit. I just got back from band camp (Where the fire alarms liked to go off from steam from the showers and hairspray and at midnight I might add) yesterday and then I have play rehersals for at least four hours at a time...

Long story short: I'm very, very, very tired, But I am very happy to announce that I FINALLY FINISHED THIS CHAPTER!!! WOOHOO!!!!

* * *

"Are those trip wires?" Al asked his big brother.

"Yep, this place is pretty well guarded for an abandoned facility," Edward remarked.

_Well, this is a bad idea waiting to happen,_ Ember thought to herself. "And this isn't suspicious at all," she added.

"Come on, let's try the back," Ed said, running around the back, followed by Ember and Al.

"Okay, we all know that I'm gonna kill myself if I try to get over _that_," Ember whispered to the two brothers, looking up the very tall wall equipped with barbed wire at the top that she assumed that they were going to jump.

"Al, boost," The blonde little shrimp said, completely ignoring her.

_Gee, thanks for the thoughtful consideration, ol' buddy ol' pal._

"Ember, do you want me to carry you up?" Al asked, Ed had unwound some of the wire from the top and lowered it down to their level.

"No, I'm fine, just make sure I don't fall and die," She replied, grabbing on to the thin piece of metal and began to attempt to hoist herself up without scratching herself, but to no prevail.

When she got up there Ed looked at her arms and legs and laughed, "Its times like these I'm glad I don't have an arm and a leg made of flesh and bone."

"Shut up, Frodo," Ember replied angrily.

"What did you just call me?" He asked in a dangerous tone. "Oh, well, never mind let's just deal with this for now," He said before jumping down from the wall.

_These people really are trying to kill me_, she mentally grumbled to herself after Ed told her to jump down.

She looked down, it was a good twenty foot drop, and she didn't even have a false limb to muffle some of the pain. Sighing and taking a deep breath she pushed herself off of the wall and fell for a few seconds (but they were adrenaline filled seconds) and landed with an 'oof' and felt her legs collapse underneath her as she fell on her butt.

"That hurt," the girl mumbled from her spot on the ground.

"It's not that bad," Ed said.

"Say's the one with a metal leg that holds back the pain when he lands," She replied.

"Ember?" Al asked, landing on a spot a few feet away.

"I'm fine," She assured him, standing up. "Crap that really hurts."

OoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

Ember sighed, "Well, this is exciting." She and Al were now sitting outside of the building while Ed was inside of it exploring.

"Brother should find an opening soon," The suit of armor replied.

"_Are you Big Sister?_" Ember heard a voice to the side of her, well; it wasn't exactly a voice more like an eco-y whisper almost. "_Like Big Brothers?_" She turned to look in the direction of the voice and froze.

She had seen all of the pictures in the scrapbooks, the ones with all of the embarrassing baby stories attached, and standing in front of her was a mirror image of the little four year old Ember Anitta Turner Samuels with a huge white dog sitting next to her.

"Al?" Ember said, grabbing at his arm.

"_There's a bad man coming,_" she said. "_He's like Bigger Big Brother but not like him._"

"Ember, are you ok?" Al asked her, causing her to turn to look at him, but when she looked back the girl was gone. Before she could look back at him there was loud yelling from above them and a man in a suit of armor came down from above them with large butcher knives flailing everywhere.

Ember screamed and felt something pull her out of the way as the lunatic landed right where she had been standing.

"Oh, good, you move fast for a big thing and a medium one. Good," The loon said.

"Who are you?" Al asked, stepping in front of Ember protectively.

"Ooo, so demanding, I guess I'll answer," He said. "I'm number 66. Oh, but that's just what they call me at work, I'll tell you my real name when I'm pealing your skin."

'…_Like Bigger Big Brother' what the hell was she talking about?_ Ember thought. _This maniac is nothing like Al… _She gasped. "Al, he's a bodiless armor," She said.

"Oh, look she's a little smarty pants, who knew someone would know what that was," He laughed manically. "I think I'll kill you first!" He added, charging at the two of them (but mainly Ember) with his knives out stretched.

Before the creep could touch her though Al had pushed her out of the way and began to fight with said creep. But as Ember was flying through the air from Al she saw a bright flash of purple light and instead of ungracefully falling on the concrete outside, she ungracefully fell on the stone floor of a hall way. "What the crap?" She said to no one.

"_Big sister?"_ She turned around to look at the small girl.

"Who are you, sweetie?" Ember asked, pretending like she didn't already know.

"_Nina Tucker,"_ She replied.

Ember saw it coming so she shouldn't have been surprised, but she still gasped. "Um, do you… know where I am?"

"_You're in daddy's work," _She said, "_But daddy's been acting really weird, like he can't see me."_

"Well, that's not very nice of him," Ember said, she was talking to a four year old, dead or alive.

"_But you gotta hurry Little Big Brother's hurting,_" She said, turning around and running, the dog barked once at Ember and followed the little girl.

_I must be going insane,_ Ember thought, following the dog's lead and running after the girl that she wasn't even totally sure really existed.

* * *

Wierdo: So that was the chapter... yep... cliffhanger... kinda... yeah... I'ma gonna sleep now, kay? So... REVIEW!!!


	12. Chapter 12

Wierdo: YAY! A new chapter within two days of the last one! Woopee!

Ember: Umm... Okaaay....

Winry: Where did Ed and Al go?

Wierdo: I told them the Philosiphers stone was under Liz's bed.

Ember: And?

Wierdo: (Smiling evily) Liz doesn't like people in her room....

Winry: Should we be scared?

Wierdo: Not really... Unless you're Shou Tucker...

Tucker: Why?

Ember: YOU GOD DAMNED ASSHOLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wierdo: That's why, Ember gets POed in this chapter.

Ember: (Stopping her ranting) I do?

Wierdo: Yep, and I found it very much fun to write! (cause I'm insane) (Everyone: Duh) ON TO THE CHAPTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

* * *

"_Come on Big Sister, Little Big Brothers hurt_," The little girl said from the corner where she was waiting for Ember.

"I'm coming!" She replied, _who knew a ghost could run so fast._

She was just about to reach the little girl and her dog when the ground started shaking violently and she lost her footing. _Great, I'm already a klutz with solid ground, now it's falling from beneath me. That's just not fair_.

"_Big sister! Are you okay?"_ Nina asked. "_Little Big Brother is behind that door," _She said, pointing to the large metal doors after Ember had nodded.

"NO!" Ed's voice rang from behind the door.

Nina suddenly looked in an opposite direction, "_I gotta go now, daddy needs me,"_ and with that she disappeared.

Ember barely heard her though because she was running through the doors to find Edward on his knees with pieces of armor on the floor around him. "I gave him a choice and he still chose to die, what could I have don't differently to keep him alive?" Ed seemingly asked himself.

"That is one of the many questions in this world that has no answer," a hollow voice echoed from a helmet near Ed's legs.

"Ed?" Ember asked. "Um, helmet guy?"

"I _will_ get Al's body back, I _won't_ let him go through all of this," Ed said, standing up and picking up the helmet and walking past Ember through the door. "Let's go," He told her. Then she saw the huge cut in his shoulder.

OoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

"Just checking, but we're past all the weird traps, right?" Ed asked as they were walking down the hall.

"Weird traps?" Ember asked, _I don't remember any weird traps…_

"No intruder has ever been able to get this far," Helmet man said.

"So, who was it that attached your souls to that suit of armor any –," Ed began but was cut off by Ember.

"Do you hear that?" She asked, now that he thought about it there were a lot of strange animal sounds coming from in front of them.

All of a sudden glowing eye's appeared from the shadows in front of them. "Well, that's not creepy at all," Ember muttered under her breath.

"I thought you said we were past all the traps," Ed said to Helmet.

"This isn't a trap."

"Ember, stay behind me," Ed said throwing the helmet in the air, clapping his hands and making the sword thing out of his auto mail.

Ember closed her eyes and kept behind Ed, pressed against a wall. It wasn't the blood, her mother was a vet and so she was fairly used to it from the occasional cow that went into labor in the middle of the night and her mother needed the help or something. It was the killing, call her crazy, but watching things die wasn't exactly her idea of a good time.

She heard Ed scream and clenched her eyes closed and pulled he legs close to her body, _shit, I'm gonna die. Oh my god and I never even got the chance to go back home yet, shit!_

But then, she heard a whistle. It seemed so familiar. She opened her eyes and gasped, all of the weird animals were bowing in the direction of the sound of heavy footsteps. She looked over at Ed who was holding Helmet man by the hair thing on the top. They both shared a 'What the hell was that?' Look.

"What happened?" He asked the soul in his hands.

"The chimera heard their master, the one who created them," was the simple answer.

"Someone actually lives down here?"

"Some_one_? I think it's better described as some_thing_."

"It's a chimera," Ed said in surprise.

Ember would have believed him if she didn't see the four year old standing next to it. "_Big Sister! Little Big Brother! Did you come to play with me and daddy?"_

"No," She gasped. "YOU FUCKING SON OF A BITCH!" She screamed grabbing what she guessed was the throat, causing the head to come down to show the face of that asshole. She heard Edward gasp behind her and said his name. "IT'S ALL YOUR GOD DAMNED FAULT! DID YOU KNOW THAT MOM WAS PREGNANT? AND GUESS WHAT IT WAS TWINS, TOO! AND DID YOU KNOW THAT _YOUR_ SON WOULDN'T LIVE TO BE MORE THAN TWO HOURS OLD? AND SARAH WOULD NEVER EVEN KNOW WHO HER OWN FATHER WAS? DAMNIT! YOU BROKE _MY MOTHERS_ FUCKING HEART YOU ASSHOLE!" She then collapsed into heavy sobs on the floor, "Shit."

"Nina," he said with a look of surprise on his face.

She looked up at him with an expression of pure hatred on her face. "Don't ever call me that again. I am _not_ your daughter and you are _not_ my father. If you were, you would have never abandoned us in the first place."

"_Big Sister?"_ Ember looked at the little girl, she could hear Ed yelling at the human chimera, but she wasn't paying attention. "_Why are you so mad at daddy to use all those mean words?_"

Ember closed her eyes and felt tears streak down her face, "Because, he's a very bad man." She whispered the words that she could still hear so clearly after so many years more to herself than to the little girl in front of her.

* * *

**So... DID YOU LIKE IT!?!**

**I think in the next chapter I may start doing little bonuses at the ends of chapters... Would you guys like that? **

**You gotta review for me to know! MUAHAHAHAH!!!!! :P**


	13. Chapter 13

Wierdo: Woop! Chapter thirteen is up!

Al: Congradulations Wierdo.

Wierdo: Why thank you, Al. Why are you the only nice one around here?

Ed: HEY! I'M NICE!!! YOU'RE JUST REALLY ANNOYING!!!

Ember: I second that notion... Well, the annoying part...

Wierdo: See what I mean! I like Winry better, and Sarah...

Ed: Can we just get to the story?

Wierdo: Fine... BUT FIRST! Seussical's finally over, no more painful shoes, Wahoo!!! and Yeah its a short chapter but it's **A **chaper! and... and... what else?

Ember: Uh, Your picture...

Wierdo: Oh yeah, I gotted a Deviantart account just for you guys, and I have a pic that I drew of Ember on there, well it's a pixel art thingy (and really sux), but WHO CARES? It is now my homepage!!! Okay I'm done... READING MAKES YOU SMARTER!

* * *

Ed and Tucker just stared at the girl sitting in front of them, was she talking to thin air?

"Um, Ember, are you alright?" Ed asked.

She looked up and back at Nina, who was standing next to her father. _Apparently they can't see her, well, this is gonna be fun_, she though sarcastically to herself. She stood up and wiped away the tears on her face, "I'm fine. Let's just go."

"Okay," He replied, eyeing her suspiciously.

Tucker smiled at her, "This way." Ember just glared at him.

"Touch me and you'll regret the day you met my mother," She said in a dangerous tone.

M&M&M&M&M&M&M&M&M&M&M

_Where did she go?_ Ember thought to herself, looking around for the mini her. They were currently standing in Tuckers lab. Ed and the chimera were talking to each other about something but she wasn't paying attention.

"_Big sister!"_

_There she is._

"_Look at what daddy made, they look just like me!"_ the little girl said from where she was standing. Next to her was a curtain, covering something. Ember walked over to where she was standing and pulled it away.

"I'm mean it Tucker, who the hell's running this place!" Ed yelled from behind her, but she didn't turn around. In front of her were several – _things_ that looked exactly like Nina, but they all had animal-like characteristics. Fur growing from their bodies, paw-like hands and feet. She heard Ed gasp from behind her and turned to look at them.

"I've tried and failed many times to bring her back, and in the end I ended up in this form," The asshole said in his whisper-y voice.

Ember let out a laugh, "You have to be the biggest moron I have ever met." She looked down at Nina who was looking at her with a confused expression on her face. "After all of this time, since the moment she died your daughter and her dog on steroids never left your side," Alexander barked at the mention of himself.

"But I'm, I'm so close there's no way I can back down now," He replied, opening huge doors to a room filled with red glowing liquid everywhere you looked, and the walls had a pattern that seemed oddly familiar to Ember.

Ed walked over to one of the several tank looking things and opened the faucet that stuck out from it. The red liquid fell to the floor and both of the teenagers gasped.

"It's exactly like doctor Marco's," Ember gasped.

"Yes, even incomplete this material is extremely powerful; you've seen it used before. If this amount of unfinished material was carefully refined, you could make a true philosophers stone," Tucker explained. "But it's an impossible feat for any _ordinary_ alchemist."

"Yeah, but you see; I'm not ordinary alchemist," Ed said with a determined look on his face. Tucker smiled in response, a smile that made Ember very suspicious.

_Something's not right here._

* * *

**Okay soooooo, I had a total of one person tell me that they would like a bonus at the end of the chapters, so Yay for Alphonse Elric this is for you. And I hope you don't mind the play on your comment. :P

* * *

**

_(Chapter 13 Bonus)_

While Edward was yelling at Tucker, Ember saw a girl sneek up behind the large man. _Oh great, more dead people?_

"Um, excuse me, Shou Tucker?" She said, in an inocent sounding voice. _Never mind._

"Yes?" He said, turning around to look at the strange girl with a confused expression on his face. It was dark and Ember couldn't really see her all that well, but her T-shirt looked like it came from her world and she could have sworn that there was a picture of Ed and Al on the front of it.

(**AN: I'm just guessing from your penname :P**)

"Yeah, I just wanted you to know... YOUR A SICK BASTARD AND THIS IS FOR NINA!!!!" The no longer inocent sounding girl pulled out a large machine gun and began to fire at Tucker. _Where did that come from?_

"Okay, I'm done!" She said. "Now its happily ever after!"

"No it isn't I still have to get mine and Al's bodies back," Ed said.

"I said **HAPPILY. EVER. AFTER.**"

Hey, Ed?

"You're not supposed to talk to us just say what we do," Ed said looking at the narrator.

Oh, well, I just want you to know that you should run now.

"Wh-," He looked at the girl and screamed and ran as fast as his short legs could carry him, "HEY!!!", followed by the strange girl by the name of Yay for Alphonse Elric screaming "RUN MOTHER *TRUCKER*, RUN!!!!

The End :D


	14. Chapter 14

Ember: Hmm... Where is Wierdo?

Winry: She's useually here to say the first line.

Ember: Yeah, this is really weird...

Liz: Hi, guys!

Winry: Uh, hi.

Ember: Where is your sister?

Winry: And now that I think about it, Ed and Al, too.

Liz: Wierdo is hiding from all of the readers because she keeps taking so long to update and the Elrics are currently still 'Celebrating' the Fourth of July.

Winry: Ed better not break my auto-mail again...

Liz: But (pulls out a note thingy) she wanted me to say:

First of IT'S W-I-E-R-D-O! and second this has to be my favorite chapter because Ember was so fun to write. Hee Hee, mad people are always fun to write... :D  
BYE!!!

Ember: She didn't metion that all she owns is me and my family.

Liz: Oh, well! On with the story!

* * *

"So," Ember began, finally deciding to break the awkward silence. "What's up Mr. Helmet?"

The two of them were currently sitting in the room with the red liquid while Ed and Tucker had gone to see more of the stuff.

"Hello," replied the piece of armor.

She sighed; _well this sure is one exiting conversation._ "So, what did you do?"

"Hmm?" Mr. H, as Ember had now decided to call him, looked at the girl quizzically.

"What did you do to get on death-row?"

"My brother and I were known as a serial killer called the slicer," he replied.

"Ah," She said with a nod of her head.

"Why do you take this news so calmly?" He asked, this is a very strange girl.

"Because you're a disembodied soul in a helmet, unless you can find away to make looks kill, then you can't really hurt me. Unless I trip over you, but I trip over flat surfaces all the time, so I'm kind of used to it by now," she replied.

"You have a mind like your father," He said.

"That bastard is _not_ my father," a suddenly very annoyed Ember said. "My father died a long time ago; I even went to his damned funeral!" She stood up quickly and wiped the tears that she felt prickling in her eyes away. _Crap, what is it with these people? I never cry, and this is the umpteenth time the water works have gone off since I got to this stupid lab five!_

She looked up at the ceiling where Ed had made a large transmutation circle with the same weird tattoo-looking-thingy in it. And it still seemed _so familiar_. And why in the heck do Nina and Sir Barks-a-lot keep disappearing?

"Ember, could you move back please?"

She jumped about a foot in the air when she heard Ed's voice out of nowhere.

"Uh, yeah."

She stood back and watched as Ed and Tucker talked about alchemy stuff that she still didn't fully understand.

"_Big Sister?_"

_I found her!_ Ember turned towards her and looked at her.

"_Why are Little Big Brother and Daddy gonna hurt those people in the red box?_"

_People in the red box?_ She felt her eyes widen as she realized what the girl was saying. "Ed wait!" But she was thrown back when the ceiling collapsed over the circle.

"What… The… Crap…" She said between the coughs from dirt and what-not making its way into her lungs.

"Why didn't you tell me there were other scientists still here?" Ed asked Tucker.

"Last I checked scientists wore lab coats, not prison clothes," He replied.

"What? So you're willing to kill people for your own selfish reasons?" Ember yelled at him only to be answered my maniacal laughter.

Ed turned to the prisoners, "Alright, listen up! Tell me who brought you here?"

"I did."

At the sound of that voice both teenagers froze in their tracks. _Circus Strong Guy?_ They turned to see none other than Brigadier General Gran himself.

"I personally requested these prisoners be transferred from the prison next door, and what are you doing here?"

Ed jumped and threw a punch at him, and a weird light surrounded the huge man and he turned into a…

_Why is there a Palm Tree in a sports bra?_

"What gave me away?" Said Palm Tree asked Ed.

"Brigadier General Gran was killed by Scar. We had a front row seat," Ed said. "Now, who are you? What is your name?"

"I can be anyone you want. So, who would you like, huh? How 'bout a taller version of you?" He/she turned to Ember, "Or a normal sized version of Miss Skyscraper over here?"

Before Ember could retort with a witty smart-ass comment like her useualy self Ed had swung a punch and Mr. Sports-Bra. "My, my, the determined little Pipsqueak wants to start a fight. I don't know, I'm really more of a pacifist."

"Stop calling me a Pipsqueak, it puts me in a really bad mood!" Ed made a mood to clap his hands, but his auto mail seemed to fail and he was the one to receive the blows, rather than Mr. Bark.

He then when on about how Ed started the fight, but Ember wasn't paying attention as she slipped off her shoe. "HEY DRAG QUEEN!" She yelled, getting a good hit on the back of the walking tree's head.

"What was that?"

"Envy," A feminine voice said from behind them, "Don't take it out on them because you couldn't manage to screen the ingredients thoroughly enough."

Ember turned to see a woman in a very revealing dress holding Helmet Man by the little hair thingy coming out from the top of his 'head'. "Who are –," Ember began but was pushed to the ground and felt her arms violently pulled and tied behind her back. And a few not-so-nice words that one tends to obtain when one's self and little sister were made fun of because of rumors about one's father being a crack-pot or having a mental disorder in order to make him shoot himself_ might_ have escaped her lips in a very loud and not-so-happy manner. That is, until a sharp kick was thrust into her back.

"How 'bout you shut the hell up, little bitch," said the Palm Tree himself.

"If I'm the bitch then I'm not the one getting peed on at the beach, I'm the pee-er," She said with a slight grunt of pain as the foot drove deeper into the small of her back and some hair was yanked on painfully as she was dragged over to where the woman was standing. "What's the matter, Mr. Palm Tree? Compensating for your teensy coconuts?"

"If you don't want to suffer any more physical punishment, then I suggest that you quit talking and get on with the transmutation," Madame Big Boob said before Ember could receive another future bruise on her back. "We've had a minor, unexpected set-back, but the ingredients are still fresh."

Ed looked at the prisoners looking at all of them with confused looks on their faces (and some a little amused by Embers insults). "You want me to use these convicts to make a philosopher's stone? Was that your plan? You really think I'd take their lives?" There were some gasps and most of them tried to run away but stopped when a very stout fat looking man came in pulling Al by his hair thing-ma-jig.

"Al!" Ed exclaimed.

"Brother, Ember, these people, their Homunculi!"

By the way that Ed repeated the word 'Homunculi' it seemed like it was a pretty bad thing, so she decided to keep the questions to herself and ask later.

"That is correct," Tuckers whisper-y voice said as he walked over to where Big Boob was now sitting on Al's armor who had been set next to Ember. "These people are indeed homunculi, perfectly made artificial humans. They have promised to show me the secrets of making a homunculus, so that I can now bring my precious Nina back to life." He added looking down at the chimera Nina in his arms.

"_Big Sister, what is he talking about?"_ Nina asked from where she was standing next to her.

_I was wondering where she ran off to._

"Why are you even trying to recreate your daughter's body, when you can't do the same for her soul?" Ed demanded.

"I already have her soul, I keep it in here," Tucker replied, gesturing to his brain. "My Nina lives indomitably in all my memories of her and I can implant those in the mind of the Homunculus. And it's clear that you are some form of reincarnation of Nina, so if I combine the two I will create a Nina More perfect than ever before."

"Hate to break it to you, _Daddy Dearest_," Ember said with a snarl. "But your little girl is all grown up and she's pissed like a bat outta hell."

* * *

_(Bonus #2)_

_The 40th of July party you missed!!! :D_

Wierdo: Welcome to the 40th of July Party!!! It's 40th because it's my dads 40th birthday, too!!!

Dad: First annual.

Liz: Oh, Dad?

Dad: Yes?

Wierdo: Liz and I put together something speacial for you!

Mom: This wont burn down half the town will it?

Wierdo and Liz: THAT WAS AN ACCIDENT!

Wierdo: Anyway...

Liz: We now present to you...

Wierdo and Liz: THE FLYING SHRIMP!!! :D

(Both of them press a button on the remote that magically appeared in their hands and a rocket goes off in the front yard and you can hear loud swearing from a short blonde person with a red trench coat who is tied to the rocket)

Mom and Dad: You do know that there is a burn ban in affect right...

Liz: CRAPPPP!!!

Wierdo: THE FIREMARSHALS GONNA BE TICKED!!!

(Both run off with fire extiguishers in their hands followed by someone in a suit of amor yelling Brother.)

Mom: They get it from you...


	15. Chapter 15

**Okay guys, I've been really busy lately and I'm not gonna bore you to tears with all the details, and I'm too lazy to make an Edwards pain-filled opening today. (**Ed: WHAT?!?!?! Wierdo: Hey! Shut up! I'm trying to be serious here!**) Keep in mind that I'm writing this chapter out of memory (**Ember: and we all know how reliable _that_ is Wierdo: _Shut up!!!_**) and that's it, because my internets been acting up and the website that I use to watch that FMA videos won't load… :D Fun, fun, fun…**

* * *

Tucker just stared at the girl. Why would his little Nina just swear so eagerly like that? "Will you stop staring at me sympathetically like that?" She said. "The person you really should be apologizing to is my mother. Or how 'bout my little sister who grew up without a father?"

"_Big sister? What's goin' on?"_

"Enough talk, let's get this over with," Tranny said, grabbing Ember by the hair and pulling her over next to the circle.

"What the crap! Why can you at least have the decency to pull me by my arms or legs, as opposed to my fucking HAIR?" Ember screamed.

"I don't feel like it," He-She said as he threw Ember on to the circle.

"What are you-," Tucker began but was interrupted by the sounds of 'Nina' screaming like there was no tomorrow.

It looked like there was… smoke? Coming off of where her skin was touching the circle and it almost looked like the close in between her and it was burning away. All Ember herself could feel was an enormous searing pain and the screams came out before she could hold them back. It felt like someone was holding a lighter to her skin, but all over her body.

"_Big sister! Big sister!"_ she could hear Nina calling from somewhere nearby.

"_Ember! Hey Ember! Its okay; mom's making chicken soup right now,"_ Sarah said from where she was standing over her older sister.

_When did Sarah get here?_

"_Hey sweetie, we're gonna fix you right up! Here have some soup,_" Her mother said, taking a spoonful of a red-ish-pink-ish liquid and putting it into her daughters mouth, but it was too hot and she had to spit it back out.

Suddenly there was an explosion and her mother was knocked out of the way. "Mom?" Ember called out only to see the blurry face of what looked like Lieutenant Bloch bending over her and picking her up. _Since_ _when did Bloch know where I live?_ Was all that crossed her mind before she lost consciousness.

**

* * *

**

Okay, it was like a mini chapter… IM SORRY!!! T^T But be happy I finally updated! (I think)  
For those of you that don't get it, basically, Ember was in so much pain that she was starting to see hallucinations of her family back home, and when she saw Bloch he was taking her out of lab five. Geeeet it? :D

**~Wierdo**

**PS those of you that know a good site that I can watch FMA on without getting my computer overloaded with viruses, would you please let me know? It would be a big help, thanks! (oh and don't say YouTube, I've tried it… =[****)**


	16. Chapter 16

**Look at me! I'm updating within 30 days from my last post! :D -happy dance- and it isn't a mini chapter! Yay! I dun have much more to say, but I don't own FMA I do own Ember and her family and ghost-Nina. **

* * *

"Hey! She awake!" Winry said after she heard the almost inaudible groan from the sleeping Ember.

"Mmmm, where am I?" She asked as her eyes slowly adjusted the being open. She looked down to see almost every inch of her body covered in gauze. "Anyone care to explain why I've been mummy-fied?"

"You had third degree burns all-over your body," Ed said. Ember looked up to see that she was lying in a hospital room with a curtain round her bed that could be moved for privacy. In the room were Ed – who was also bandaged up, but not to the degree that she was -, Winry, and Al who was in several pieces sitting in the corner.

"Holy crap, what happened?"

"You don't remember?"

"No, al that I remember before blacking out is -," then all the memories came flooding back. "Oh. Crap and those were my favorite pair of vans, too."

The three Amestrians looked at her like she was crazy. "What?" They asked at the same time.

"Well, technically they were knock-offs, but –."

"No, what are vans?" Winry asked.

"They're a type of shoe," Ember replied, scratching the back of her head, only to feel her now very short hair. "What!?!? No! This is so not cool! I've been growing my hair out since I was, well, born!" She continued to rant about her new hair cut while the others sweat dropped.

"Um, Ember?" Winry said. Ember broke her rant and looked at the blonde girl. "These two won't tell me how it happened, but for whatever reason, your clothes where pretty much destroyed."

Ember dropped back down onto her bed, only to bang her head against the wall and get several complaints from the burns that covered her body. "This world hates me doesn't it?" she groaned.

"No! You're just… just… clumsy, that's all!" Winry said. "Right Al?"

"Yeah," said the armor in an uncharacteristic annoyed tone.

"Did I miss something?" Ember asked, confused.

* * *

A few days had passed and Ember could now walk around the hospital without hurting herself and most of her bandages were off to reveal oddly shaped scars that covered the back of her body. Al seemed really withdrawn and angry for reasons that were beyond her. And Winry had promised that once Ember was out of the hospital that she could borrow some of her clothes until she got new ones.

She was walking back to the room that they were staying in from the bathroom when out of nowhere she heard Al yell, "It wasn't my choice to be this way!" She walked in the room with a look of sheer confusion on her face.

"Right, Al. I'm sorry," Ed replied.

"Hey, what's wrong with you two?" Winry asked looking between the two brothers. All three of them seemed completely oblivious to the girl standing in the door way. "Are you fighting? Al? I've never seen you like this. Did something happen?" When no one answered her she went on. "Why is that? I've known you two my whole life and you don't tell me anything. I'm standing here worrying about you two and you don't have the decency to tell me why you guys are fighting, or how you guys got hurt or anything important! It's always secrets with you." The two brother's sill didn't say anything. "I don't care anymore!" And she took off running to the door, and stopped when she saw Ember for the slightest second and ran past her, out the door.

Ember looked between the two of them, "Good going guys." She said sarcastically, and turned around to go find the blonde mechanic.

She didn't have to go far; Winry was right outside the door with a dark-haired man. "Oh, and hello to you too, Ember. It's nice to properly introduce myself. I'm Ed and Al's friend, the lieutenant colonel, or Maes Hughes," The man said. "Oh! And least I forget," he pulled out a picture from his pocket and shoved it in the two girls faces. "This here is my daughter Alicia. Isn't she just a bundle of divine cuteness? You wanna meet her don't you?"

"Uh, sure?"

"Yes I guess."

"Alright then I'll let you," he said in response to the girls' answers. He grabbed the two of them and walked to the door that was still open. "Don't you worry about the girls, I'm gonna take care of them for a little while. Bye now."

"Wait, sir! She can't leave!" a nurse said, pointing to Ember. "She still hasn't fully recovered yet!"

"Darn, you won't be able to come to Alicia's birthday party," Hughes said, looking very depressed at the fact. "Oh, well! I'll take plenty of pictures and show them to you!" He said, his face lighting up significantly as he pulled Winry away talking about giant teddy-bears.

"That… was weird," She said, watching as Winry was pulled away by an insane father. Poor Winry.

* * *

**What do you think? You can let me know by... guess what? REVEIWING!!! :D (**Ember: Reveiw wh- Wierdo: G RATED!!!! Ember: Hog Wierdo: hey...**) **

**And I have one more thing to ask you guys... Ok, so I was thinking and do you guys think I should pair Ember up with anyone? (**Ember: WHAT THE F- Wierdo: G RATED!!!!!!! Geez you've got a potty mouth. Ember: I was gonna say fudge Wierdo: sure you were**) and if I do, who with? But Edward is OUT of the question. EdWin _is_ in this FanFic (**Ed & Winry: What? Ember: Awkward...**) , so live with it. If you don't like it dont read it. (**Ember: Seven days... Wierdo: Is a week! :D Ember: Face Palm.**) Thats it BYE!**

**~Wierdo**


	17. Chapter 17

**Ok, sooooo, I'm too lazy to do the witty before and after story thing-y majig... So, I'm not gonna. And I'm really, Really, REALLY sorry its taken me so long to post this. But the good news is that most of the stuff that was keeping me really busy is now over. Now all I've got is life, school, parade marching, and San Diego this Christmas for my bands big every-4-years trip. And that is all. Thank you! :D**

* * *

Ember smiled to herself as Ed and Winry had one of _those_ moments. _I knew they fight like an old married couple for a reason! _she thought to herself as she went back to the book one of the nurses had been kind enough to lend her.

Winry had come back from the insane father alive, thankfully. When she came in saying something about if you say congratulations on someone's birthday, then they'll have good luck. Then it struck her.

"Its your birthday?" Ember said slamming her book down on her lap, and wincing when it caused some of the upper part of the back of her legs that weren't completely healed yet press against the bed.

"Yeah, I guess I forgot," Ed replied with a sheepish grin.

Ember rolled her eyes and got up. "Potty break," she said to them and walked out of the room. She didn't really need to use the bathroom, but that was a personal thing going on in that hospital room between Ed, Winry, and (sort-of) Al and she didn't want to feel like she was intruding.

She just started wandering around instead and met a nice old man who was, sadly, fighting cancer, a little girl who was waiting with her father for her mother to have a baby, and a young nurse who was rather rude in Embers opinion.

As she was walking past the normal entrance to the hospital with the huge wall made of windows she was startled to see a set of armor land on the ground from the sky and start running away. Ignoring the woman at the front desk she walked out of the door and looked up to see Ed staring at where the previously mentioned armor had landed. "Al?" Ember shouted in the direction he had run off to and without even thinking about it began running there too.

"Al! Get back here!" She shouted, "DAMN IT AL, I HAVEN'T GOT ANY SHOES ON! IF I GET TECTNIS IT IS ALL YOUR FAULT!!!"

She kept on running after him, shouting his name out, weaving her way through the crowds throughout the city. Why? She didn't know. She just did it. Her feet just carried her through street after street. But that armor was faster then she was and didn't fatigue like she did. Not to mention she was extremely lost.

Slightly wobbly from her exertion running around the city, she stumbled into an alleyway, sighing to her self. _I wish I could find Al, something majorly wrong must be going on with him for him to be acting like this. Can suits of armor go through puberty?_ She was so distracted by her thoughts she didn't see the boy until he ran straight into her.

They both landed on the ground with an 'oof!' The boy looked at Ember with a terrified look on his face. She managed a strained smile in a vain attempt to calm the boy down. "You ok?" She asked.

He only seemed to get more frightened. "Hey! Come on!" Another boy a few years older then the one Ember had run into said. When he saw Ember his face seemed to pail, too.

"Stop, Thief!" Someone in the distance yelled, and the older boy just pushed the two of them behind a large piece of metal to hide.

"What the crap are you doing?" Ember asked.

"Eating," The older boy said as he regained some color to his face and handed an apple to his brother.

"I don't want it," He said. "What are you thinking? You just picked it up and stole it out of nowhere. If mom saw you -" He stopped as his stomach began to growl.

"There, see? You can't be so hard on your self," The older one said to his brother.

"You shouldn't take things that don't belong to you," The metal seemed to say suddenly, making Ember jump slightly.

"The pile of junk just talked to us!"

"No, I'm not a pile of junk," It said and turned around and Ember realized (and felt incredibly stupid for not realizing this sooner) that it was Al. "Hey, are you guys Ishbalan?" He saw the girl sitting next to them. "Ember? What are you doing here?"

She sighed, "Looking for you, Gene-Ass."

* * *

**Waddiya think? I know its not too terribly long but its better then a kick in the teeth, in the words of my insane father (I have to get it SOMEWHERE). **

**~Wierdo**

**PS by the way, the votes are in and it shall be AlxEmber! **


	18. Chapter 18

**THIS ONE IS LONGER THIS TIME!!! WOOHOO!!! I WIN!!! (**Ed: phsyco**) I like sugar!**

* * *

"Where are we going?" Ember asked as the two boys led her and Al - well, _somewhere. _She was really starting to regret following Al, shortly after they started there way to where ever they were currently going, it had started to rain, and she was still in nothing but the extremely thin hospital clothes that she was given to wear while she was still in the hospital. Not to mention she was extremely tired from chasing the stupid armor all over the bloody city and her feet were killing her.

"We're going to -" The younger boy started but was interrupted by his older brother.

"Our house," He said.

The four of them kept walking in silence until they came to a stair that went underneath the street and the oldest brother took out what seemed like a tiny flash light and blinked a few times and began walking when a light blinked from with in. After that Ember and Al were led through several passageways before their chins dropped to the floor.

There, underneath the city of Central and in its sewers was an encampment of 70, 80, 90, maybe even a hundred people. "C'mon!" the boy said and started to lead them farther into the place till they found a little old man who was sitting on a mat.

"Hello!" He said with a kind smile. "I have never seen you two be for. Have a seat," He gestured to the mat in front of him, and the two non-ishbalins did so; looking at every thing all around them as they did so.

The man laughed. "It must seem very bizarre to find so many people in a place like this."

"Oh, no, no, no!"

"Its not!"

"We just weren't expecting it!"

"Yeah!" the two of them said almost simultaneously.

"Don't worry about it," he said, waving it off with his hand. "I guess theses two," he looked pointedly at the two boys sitting next to him, "were causing trouble at the surface. By the way, where did you get that strange armor and scars? Are they some sort of protocol?"

"Relax," an eerily familiar voice said from behind them, causing Ember to jump slightly. "These two are not part of the military."

"Scar!" Al said in surprise while Ember was speechless from her memory of their pervious meeting.

"Our paths enter-twine. Don't they Alphonse Elric and Ember Samuels?"

"I didn't know you were here too," Al said with just as much hatred in his voice as Ember was feeling.

The youngest brother ran to Scar with a confused look on his face as he looked in between the three of them. "Well then, do you know each other then?" The old man said.

"We know each other," Scar replied. "In a sense."

"Good, then that makes this easier. Strangers, I ask that you do not tell anyone about us or our hiding place."

"I wont," The two of them said in unison.

"We've heard about what happened in Ishbal," Al said and Ember nodded.

"How did you end up here?" Ember asked.

"Because the military came and attacked us!" the older brother said, his voice dripping in anger.

"Yes," Everyone turned to Scar. "They've destroyed our homes and massacred our people again and again, yet they do not tire. If those retched State Alchemist's are still trying to hunt me down, then right now would be their only chance to succeed."

"Because you're injured?" Al said, more of a statement then a question.

"What happened to your brother?"

"I don't care what happens to him," Al said. Ember and even Scar gasped and looked at him like he was truly insane.

Just then the youngest present gasped and looked at his shirt. "What is it Rick?" His brother asked.

"Moms necklace is gone!" Rick said.

"Who cares about that dumb old thing any way? Just forget about it, alright?" big brother said.

Rick gasped, "When I fell!" he said and began to run off toward the surface.

"Hey! Wait for me!"

The old man started and began to yell after them, "No, you cant go up there! Someone might see you! Rick! Leo!"

"Don't worry, I'll bring them back," Scar said and began to follow them both. Al got up and began to follow and Ember sighed.

"Friggen piece of scrap metal," she muttered under her breath as she, too, began to get up to leave.

* * *

**See? It's not as short as usual! :D**

**I don't know if I stopped there because I thought it was a good spot or if I'm just lazy.... *shrug* OH WELL!**

**Let me know what you think. How do you do this you ask?**

**| Magical |**

**| Review |**

**v Button v**

**~Wierdo**


	19. what do you think?

Ok you guys. I am reeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaly sorry for not updating… *dodges flying objects* JUST WAIT A MINUTE!!! Ok, so, I have seriously been debating re-writing NWBT. (**Ed: because you screwed up! *snicker, snicker* Wierdo: SHUT UUAAUUPP!**) I just made a confusing mess out of it (**Wierdo: even to me. AND I WROTE IT! Ember: that's sad… Wierdo: T-T it is…**) but the thing is I don't know how to fix it without re-writing it. But if I do end up re-writing it, I need a title… I'm not so good at making titles up as you can see from this one. So, I'm asking you guys to write me in a PM or a review (**Wierdo: I don't care**) and tell me if you think I should re-write it, and if you do, maybe a title suggestion por favor? (**Wierdo: That's Spanish for please. You actually learn things at school. WHO KNEW? Wierdo's Mother: *Sigh* Everyone except for you apparently. Wierdo: *gasp* When did you get inside my head?**)


	20. Chapter 19

Ember: *Is shoved out into a room by someone (most likely Wierdo)* Uh, hey guys! Um... hi.

Winry: *Is now shoved out, too* Wierdo says hi, too.

Sarah: *Now her* OWCH! WIERDO-CHAN!!! She says shes sorry it took so long for her to reaaally update. Also, FYI, she shoves really hard.

Hawkeye: *Walks out calmly while dragging Wierdo behind her*

Wierdo: NOOOOO! I NO WANNA DIE!!!

Hawkeye: Say it!

Wierdo: *in a small voice* Idonownfullmetalalchemist.

Hawkeye: *points gun at her* I didn't hear you.

Wierdo: I DON'T FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST! *runs away as random objects finally start flying at her due to some unknown delay*

_

* * *

_

_Roy looked at the strange girl that had appeared out of no-where into his office. He was about to send her to an old war friend that he knew would not hurt her. "I think that I may know how to get you back to your home." Her face instantly lit up. "But in order to do so, you must do what I tell you. I can't tell you all of the details, but just trust me." Now her face turned suspicious._

"_Are you telling me that you know how to get me there or not?" She asked._

"_Listen, I'm going to send you to someone who may be able to help you. But you may not be able to stay much longer, and if that happens I need you to do what I tell you. There are those who might want to hurt you because of where you are from or who you are." His normally joking personality had become serious._

_She sighed. "Fine, but if I die because of this, I'll make your life a living hell."_

*~*~*~~*~*~*

Ember opened her eyes drowsily. Was she finally home? Was it all just some weird dream?

"Hey, boss, she's awake." A voice said from her side.

She looked around and saw that she was in some small and crappy room surrounded by a bunch of dirty looking men in military uniforms and Rick was sitting right next to her, chained to a wall just like her. Now she remembered. She, Al, and Scar had just found the two brothers and the necklace and were heading back to the sewers. And they were about to go in but Rick went to make sure the coast was clear. Ember went along too because she wanted to try to get away from the depressed mood that had started when the subject of mothers came up. That's when the gunfire started and everything went black.

"Hey, her eyes aren't red, there green. Is that possible in ishbalans, boss?" the same voice said.

"Not pure-blooded ones s' far as I know. Where ya from kid?" said a man even dirtier than the rest with a scratchy beard and some strange back-pack-thing-ma-jig that ember had never seen before.

"Who? Me? I'm not a goat." She said, looking the man in the eye.

He made a face that instantly told her she had pissed him off. "Now if you would like to address me my people would gladly get with your people, right Jim-Bob?" She looked at Rick and he looked at her with a fearful face, but she could see the slight smile in his eyes as he looked back at her.

As she was turning back toward the 'Boss' with another sarcastic remark on her tongue, a booted foot connected with her gut. She shrieked in pain and could taste the metallic flavor of blood in her mouth. Some of it made it outside of her mouth and onto the concrete floor.

Boss-man leaned down and looked at her with humor painted on his face. "Now, have you learned to respect your elders, _kid_?" When her head remained down he stood up.

"Uh, boss? Did you see her eyes? They – they changed colors when you kicked her!" Several of the men were saying as their leader looked at them. "Maybe she's a witch!" They seemed to be in hysterics.

"Hey! All of you morons calm down! I was just a trick of the li-," He stopped short when a bloody mass of saliva hit the back of his head.

"I only respect those who give respect," Ember said. She was so tired of being kicked by jack-asses with wrongfully given power.

The room could virtually see steam come from his ears. Quickly he turned around and pointed a gun at Embers temple. "You will shut the hell up and behave or else I'll blow your damned brains out."

Whether she was running on adrenaline or anger-fed stupidity, she didn't know, Ember leaned into the gun so that it touched her forehead and said, "Go ahead. I dare you. Who knows, maybe I'll die and won't have to go on with my pathetic life. Or maybe I'll be sent back home. I don't know, and you don't know. But we'll find out when you pull that trigger, right Jim-Bob?"

However, before the trigger was pulled, a cage sprang up around some of the men in the room.

*~*~*~~*~*~*

Al sat in the car as Scar was driving to where they suspected Rick and Ember to be. It was all his fault that she had been kidnapped. If he hadn't worried her, she wouldn't have followed him. But, it was her fault for following him, right? It was her own choice, but he still felt so guilty.

"Leo, you said that you hated your mother right? Why?" Al asked, trying to change the subject that wouldn't go away inside of his head.

"That woman wasn't our mother," Al couldn't help but notice that he and ember both hated one of their parents. "She just up and abandoned us." Leo told the story of what happened when the soldiers attacked their home. About how their mother didn't even try to protect he and his brother and ran away.

"We're here." Scar said in his usual ominous tone.

Al got out of the car and started walking towards the tiny building. When he got to the out-side wall he waited for the others to catch up. Funny, it didn't seem like he was walking that fast.

As he stood there he heard a gun click (he had come to know the sound very well from being in Mustangs offices when he didn't do his paperwork). Then he heard Embers voice. It sounded kind of- _low_, like she was so furious that the opposite emotions appeared (unlike his brother, _no! he is not your brother!_).

"Go ahead. I dare you," he heard her say, that's when he realized that the gun was pointed at her. He became so mad that he couldn't even wait for the next few seconds for the others. He grabbed a near-by stick and began to draw the circles he needed.

First, he started with the cage…


	21. Chapter 20

Wierdo: *dances*

Ed: What is she doing now?

Al: She's celebrating getting a chapter up within a month of the last one.

Wierdo: Who's a beast? I'm a beast!

Ember: *walks in room* Okay.... *walks back out*

Ed: She still doesn't own Fullmetal Alchemist.

Wierdo: *stops dancing and glares at Ed* I'll give you the count of three...

Al: Why do you two always have to fight?

* * *

Ember felt the solid form of the wall she had been leaning against become, well – _not there._ She tumbled back as Leo and the Elder Ishbalan picked up Rick and got him away. Still on her back, she felt Al remove the material keeping her hands bound together with alchemy.

"Run," He said simply as he got into his fighting stance.

"Ok," Ember said. Picking herself up and running alongside her Ishbalan friends as the ass-hole-Boss-man began giving orders to attack Alphonse. That was when another wall was disintegrated and Scar stood there with a seriously POed look on his face.

AHBM just smiled and said, "You guys take the armored guy. I'll deal with him!" He lunged at Scar with a knife-type thing that Ember hadn't noticed before. With every move that the man made, Scar dodged and parried every blow without a flaw.

By this time the three not-so-good-at-fighting-themselves had made it with Rick to a nearby tree that they agreed to use as shelter from the violent people. Ember squatted down and looked around the trunk to watch what was going on.

She couldn't hear them over the sounds of battle, but she saw the same jerk-face suit of armor that attacked both her and Al while they were at lab-five run at Al with full force and intent to cause damage. She dug her nails into the defenseless bark as she watched them begin to spar. She would have watched all of the way through, but then one of the annoying soldiers from the house-hut-what-ever-it's-called started to fire at her.

She heard the shot first and, because she moved her head to see what had happened, the bullet made a little crater inside of the tree. The young man looked at her with wide, fearful eyes as hers were basically in the same position. Well, how would you feel if you were being shot at?

"Rot in hell, witch!" he yelled.

Ember only had a moment to close her eyes in fear of her own death, but nothing came. She slowly opened her eyes and found herself on top of the roof. Sitting next to her was a little girl in particular.

"Hey, Nina," Ember said as if meeting an old friend.

"Hello big sister!" The child said with a huge grin on her face.

"Um, Nina?"

"What, big sister?"

"How did I get on the roof?"

"I'm not allowed to tell," Nina said with slightly sad eyes. "But I wanna! Reeeaaaally bad, but it's a secret."

"Who can tell me?" Ember prodded.

"Dark grandpa can tell you!" The ghostly girl said as if the thought just came to her.

"He knows the secret? Do you talk to him?"

"No, he can't see me," she looked sad as she clicked her heals together. "But he's really smart and he knows a lots of things that even daddy didn't know! He can tell you! I can't say the word anyway."

Ember was about to open her mouth to say thanks for the help, but she became distracted by the sound of plenty of guns going off simultaneously along with a bazooka. It was different from before, it was more in unison. She looked in the direction of the sound and saw that a wall had been made in the middle of the battle field. As the guns kept firing, the wall began to have more and more holes form in it. Soon, she saw a blonde head behind that wall. Edward. She looked around the rest of the area populated by people and saw another blonde head, but this was a more platinum-blonde-ish color standing next to people with darkish looking skin. And that would be Winry and her new friends.

"Al, behind you!" Winry screamed and Ember looked in the direction of the Elrics and saw Evil-armor-machete guy attempt to do one of those 'final blow' attack things that they have in video games.

Ember immediately stood up in shock, which probably wasn't one of the best ideas in the world. Seeing as she also immediately lost her balance and began to slide down the roof of the building.

Just as Al delivered a blow that threw Barry back, he was hit by a flying, screaming-bloody-murder, Ember.

She sat up, "Alphonse Elric. You are really hard." She said, rubbing the top of her head. _Oh, please, god don't let me get a concussion, I just got out of the hospital and I really don't want to go back._

"Are you OK?" Al asked with uncertainty.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Good," relief filled his voice, and Ember flushed a little bit, but she wasn't sure why.

Then, a bright light illuminated, well, everything, and everyone looked where it was coming from. It soon dimmed, and standing in the middle of the lights source was Scar. He was standing with his arm held above his head and it seemed like electricity was flowing into his hand. AHBM stood nearby with his mouth agape. Scar ran at him and grabbed his shirt and held him in the air and the familiar red sparks encircled the area around his hand and the Boss-man flew back. Blood ran from his nose and from his mouth.

"Looks like the guy I've heard so much about can fail to kill someone if he's weak enough," He said to himself. "Somebody, shoot him! Shoot him now!" but he stopped short as he saw that all of his men were now in a cage that Ed must have made while everyone was distracted.

"Give it up," the dirty-blonde said. "You're the only one left."

At this point Al was helping Ember to the tree, seeing as she was still a little rattled after her crash-landing.

"Who the hell are you?" BM said.

"A dog of the military, just like you," The youth said, anger and defiance plastered on his face.

The man's face was full of shock. "A State Alchemist? That can't be!"

"That's a surprise," said a voice that Ember recognized. The sound of it sent chills down her spine after her previous encounter with it, even though she had seen its owner several times tonight. Alphonse set her on the ground next to Winry and looked at Barry the Chopper. "Let me thank you," the voice went on, "for making me look like this!" As Barry began to charge at Ed, Al used his unearthly, suit of armor skills to run very fast in front of his brother. However, before the crazy serial killer could reach either one of the Elrics, Scar intervened, using his destructive alchemy, or whatever you are supposed to call it to cut the armor in half. The torso went flying and landed on the Boss-man.

They all stared as the armor held fast to the man as he yelled for him to get off. There were strange sparks of electricity encircling the two of them and BM took off the back-pack thing and Barry fell on the ground as the man ran for the hills. It seemed that the pack was where he had gotten his knives from. The armor lied on the metal box-with-straps and held several of the sharp and pointy things in his hand.

In a blast, hundreds of the things went flying in all directions. Everyone ducked and miraculously no one was hit. Or at least, that's what Ember thought until she saw Rick fall over. There was one of the knives sticking out of his chest and his head rested on his older brother's lap. Now everyone crowded around the boy. All except for Scar who crushed the remains of Barry the Chopper.

Slowly, the boy's eye's opened and all those surrounding him sighed in relief. He reached inside of his shirt and pulled out the locket. There was a dent in it that Ember supposed was from the knife hitting it.

"Mom saved me," Rick said to his brother. Ember smiled to herself. Then the locket opened. Inside was a picture of a pretty dark-complexioned woman with smaller versions of Leo and Rick and little pills.

The old man held up one of the pills and 'hm-mmm' ed to himself, "This is eye medicine."

"Medicine?"

"Yes," The old man explained that their mother suffered from an eye disease and that she would never tell them so that they wouldn't have to worry about her.

"She didn't abandon us," Leo said to himself, he was on the verge of tears and Rick smiled as he watched his brother finally forgive their mother.

*~*~*~~*~*~*

Ember stood with Winry, Ed, and Al on the dock as they said their good-byes to the Ishbalan people. Ed questioned Scar about the philosopher's stone and the boat began to leave. Ember just waved with a big, dorky smile on her face and thought back to her previous discussion with her elder friend.

_My child, I believe you to be something of an anomaly…  
What is it?  
There are old legends that tell of people such as yourself… they say that you come from a distant land, maybe even world…  
What's that supposed to mean?  
The only way that I can describe it is: think of one of the people I believe you call Homunculus and give them a soul. That is what you are; so to speak… in the legends your people are good and end up saving many lives with their mysterious gifts. Use them well, I trust you…_

She sighed. No pressure or anything.

As they walked away Ed and Al began to reminisce about their childhood. Mainly, their fights as children. Finally, Edward came to a realization. "Hey! I never won!"

They all burst out laughing. Then, Ember stopped and looked very seriously between the three Amestrians, "My question is, when am I going to get out of these annoying scrubs? They don't keep me warm worth crap and the pants keep trying to fall down!" The laughter resumed.


	22. Chapter 21

Wierdo: Hahahahahahahahahahahahahah!!! I a not just a beast, but _the_ beast!!! Hahahahahahahaha!!!

Ember: What's up with her?

Ed: Honestly? Who knows anymore.

Wierdo: Weeeelll.... For one thing I updated THREE times within the month of March, then this is THE LONGEST CHAPTER I HAVE EVER WRITTEN!!! (13 pages to be precise) AAAND!!!! I have finally started put _leeeettal _pieces of AlxEmber fluffs in there. :D

Ember: That totally doesn't make me feel awkward at all...

Wierdo: You people MUST love me because I put aside the English paper I _should _have been writing and I spent most of my spring break writting it! (Well, I got slightly side tracked a lot, or else it would have been posted sooner, but I have a very short attention sp - cheese...)

Winry: Someone might as well say it already...

Al: Wierdo-chan doesn't own Fullmetal Alchemist...

Wierdo: *pointing at Al* Damn you....

Al: *sweat drops*

Ember: But she does own me.

Wierdo: MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! *cue lightning*

* * *

Four teenagers walked through the Central Train Station. One short dirty blonde boy, a slightly taller blonde girl, an even taller brunette with strange scars that were reveled in some places that her clothes didn't cover, and a boy who was in a suit of armor for some reason or other. The brunette seemed very uncomfortable and kept tugging at the skirt she was wearing. The blonde seemed amused by this, and the two boys were giving the two females weird looks.

"God, I hate skirts with a passion," Ember said unhappily, pulling down the fabric down of the borrowed piece of clothing. "The fiery passion of a thousand suns." She had borrowed one of Winry's skirts and a purple shirt that the blonde had said that she didn't really like, it didn't suit her.

Winry just looked at her funny, "Why not? They give you much more freedom! Pant's constrict you, and if they're too small, they go into uncomfortable areas."

"But if a skirt is too small, then if you bend down to tie your shoe, you flash the universe," Ember pointed out. "Plus I feel a very awkward breeze."

Walking ahead of the two girls, Ed and Al exchanged a strange glance. "All women really are crazy, aren't they?" Ed asked his brother quietly.

"Hell yes we are," Ember said as Winry started to reach for her weapon of choice in her bag. "Why else would we fall in love with man, walk around for nearly a year the size of a planet, for man I might add, and give birth to another man or another crazy woman."

Winry smiled at Ember and the two high-fived each other. They heard a train whistle and the blonde began to push her companions. "Hurry up! We're about to miss the train to _THE_ RUSH VALLEY!"

"Winry! Ow! Stop pinching! That was from a train on the wrong end of the station! Just calm down," Ed said over the girls screaming.

*~*~**~*~*

As the four teenagers got off the train, Ember and Ed stretched out uncomfortably, Winry looked like she was about to start hyperventilating, and Al sweat dropped at his companions. Once they were all done getting through the station, they headed downtown to see all of the shops (mostly according to the demands of the girls).

Ember pulled all of them aside at the first clothing store she saw and simply said, "How much would the average pair of pants cost?" She was really tired of the evil and maniacal skirt and all of the weird looks she kept getting because of the Lab-5 scars on her legs, a pair of pants would fix both problems sufficiently.

Winry contemplated for a moment and stated her reasoning, and then the two females turned to look at the two males with devious faces. "What?" Ed asked. The girls grinned and stuck out their hands at the older Elric. He sighed and stuck the money in their hands.

"You two wait out here, we'll be just a minute," Winry said.

Ed just sighed again, "Women."

Edward and Al had been waiting outside for the better part of half an hour when the girls came out. Ember was now sporting a pair of brand new jeans that she had found the same purple shirt from Winry and a light grey coat.

"Hey! I thought that you were only going to buy pants!" Ed shouted.

Winry shrugged and Ember said, "There was a sale."

The two of them walked off in the general direction of more shops and Al silently calmed his brother down while they began to follow them. Not long after there was a squeal that interrupted Winry's "I can't believe I'm in Rush Valley" s. They looked over two a brunette woman at a shop window ranting on about the size of the rock in a ring. That was shortly followed by Winry's squeal about some kind of auto mail. The brothers gave each other looks that clearly read "why can't she be normal", but then they both noticed that Ember was missing. Winry looked up at her friends and noticed the missing person as well, but she found her shortly after wards.

Ember had silently wandered in a music store. When her companions found her, she was laughing with the shop keeper. "Would you like to try it out?" The man asked as he gestured to the guitar that was hanging in the window. "'tis one of the best _guitarra's _I have ever made."

"But I don't have the money to buy it, I really just came in to look," Ember said, with a little bit of remorse in her tone. The guitar was so beautiful, with its red-ish wood and single painted yellow rose.

"Not _importante! _I see you want to play! I let you play!" He said and put the beautiful instrument in her hands. He had a strong accent and his stubbornness reminded her of her grandmother.

"_If you want to be a musician be a musician, you silly girl! I will teach you to play Spanish Flamenco and you can do whatever you want after that!" _

Ember found a chair behind her and sat down. Holding the guitar felt right. It felt like the reddish wood of the instrument was carved to fit her hand. She strummed once and found that it was perfectly in tune. Without having much thought going on in her head, she started to play one of her favorite songs to play; _Dust in the Wind _by Kansas had been her favorite song to play ever since she had learned it. The intricate strumming technique that seemed difficult, but was pretty easy once you got the hang of it had made her love to play it.

At first she was just going to play the music, but soon she felt the words pouring from her mouth as she was swept away into the music.

"I close my eyes, only for a moment, and the moments gone.  
All my dreams pass before my eyes, a curiosity.  
Dust in the wind, all they are is dust in the wind.

Same old song, just a drop of water in an endless sea.  
All we do crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see.  
Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind.

(Now) Don't hang on, nothing last forever but the earth and sky.  
It slips away, and all your money won't another moment buy.  
Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind.

Dust in the wind, everything is dust in the wind."

In the time of playing this song, she was so preoccupied by the music being created at her fingertips that she didn't even notice that a crowd had started to form in the tiny shop around her; her friends among those in front. When she saw the people she began to feel slightly self conscious. She rubbed the back of her head "Oh, uh… hi!"

The room erupted with applause. Her friends ran to her and spoke over the commotion. "Wow! You never told us you were a musician! You're really good!" They spoke in her ear. Ed was already trying to get them out of the door, but Ember told them that she had to give the guitar back to the kind old man.

He smiled at her when she put the instrument in his hands. "Thank you for letting me play it," She turned to leave, but his voice stopped her.

"Wait, wait, wait," he waved his hand in the air and went through a door in the back. When he came back there was a guitar case in his hand and the same kind smile plastered on his face. "Take _la guitarra_," Ember opened her mouth to protest but he shushed her. "All this time there have been people coming in and asking for _guitarra _but I tell everyone no. I said no because I knew that they would just hang in on the wall and never play, but you come today and now I know you will play."

Ember was speechless. "Uh, _gracias._" she finally managed to say.

When she came out of the store Edward eyed the case. "Are you telling me that I need to give you some of my money again?"

"No!" Ember said defensively. "He gave it to me," quieter that time. She didn't know why, but for some reason that man seemed to familiar to her. It felt like she had met him before, but she just couldn't remember.

*~*~**~*~*

Before continuing on with their trip in Rush Valley, the four teens decided to go ahead and check into an hotel, mainly so that Ember could just drop her new guitar off in the room and not have to carry it around all day. Afterwards, Winry suggested that they walk around a little bit more (although a little bit louder than necessary), to which there were no real objections.

As they made their way through one street, they were met by a large mob of people. Pushing their way to the front they saw that in the small clearing in the middle of the group was a table, a pile of money on one side, a pile of pieces of metal and wood on the other, a large muscular man seated at the table with a huge auto mail arm, and a stringy-er man with a megaphone in his hand.

"Step right up!" the smaller of the two shouted. "Rush Valley's famous auto mail arm wrestling competition returns! Entry is a measly ten thousand sens and if you beat the chap, you get the jack-pot! Come on up! Don't miss your chance!"

One man from the audience stepped up, brandishing his auto mail arm. "I wanna piece of that," he said.

They watched as challenger after challenger was beaten by the 'Champion', and it soon became clear that the wood in the trash pile was pieces of table. Al leaned down to his brother.

"Brother, is that-?" He asked.

"Yeah," Ed replied. "But I guess that's to be expected."

Ember looked at them with a look of confusion on her face, but looked back to the competition. There was now a dark-skinned girl sat down at the table.

"Hey, little girl," the big guy said. "You sure you wanna do that with that piece of junk?"

From within the crowd a snobby blonde yelled, "If it was made by that old man, she'd probably have a better chance just using her real arm!" Everybody laughed and Ember felt the sudden urge to beat the crap out of all of them, but she with held her inner desires and paid attention to what was happening at the table.

"I wanna see a good, clean fight," the referee of sorts said and screamed, "Fight!" immediately after.

It seemed like it was a pretty even match because both of their arms stayed in the middle of the table for a length of time, but soon the odds began to move in the females favor. However, the table once again gave way and she was thrown to the ground. The small man had his hand over his face and said something about "so close", the bulkier of the two stood up and laughed and said, "If you want, I can give you the name of a good mechanic!" There was an eruption of laughter again, and the anger in Ember welled yet again. The girl ran away and Ember watched with sad eyes.

"Is there no one else who would challenge the champ?" said the small man, he turned to Al, "How about you, sir? Sure you look big and strong how'd ya like to prove it?"

"You mean me?" Al asked. "No, no, thank you!"

"That's too bad. Hey, what about," He began, still looking in the general direction of the teens, but he seemed to change his mind. "Nah, I couldn't ask this shrimp!" Ember could feel a dark, angry cloud descend right next to her; she slowly began to inch away, behind Winry.

"I'M NOT A SHRIMP!!!!!" Ed screamed and made to attack the man, but was held back by his brother.

"Wow, you're a really feisty shrimp, aren't ya?" He continued. "And it looks like you salvaged that auto mail from the bottom of a scrap-heap!"

The same cloud fell over Winry, and Ember inched behind Al instead. "Alphonse, let go of your brother," Winry said with a dangerous edge to her voice.

Al sweat dropped and lowered Ed with a "yes ma'am".

"Edward! If you lose, I'll kick your ass!" Winry screeched at him as he sat down at the table.

The fight began, but it didn't last long because not very long after the fight began, Edward pulled the forearm of the "Champion" right off. Every single persons jaw was dropped and eye's bugging out of their head. Well, except for Al who looked proudly at his brother.

"Now I forget. Whose auto mail belongs in the bottom of a scrap heap?" Ed Asked as he threw the arm behind him and into the trash pile.

Everyone burst into applause and Winry grinned and yelled, "Take that!" Ember high-fived her as the four of them made their way back around town.

*~*~**~*~*

"Five hundred and ten thousand sens! I barely believe it!" Winry squealed, holding up their bag of loot as they walked back towards the hotel they were staying at. "Now you can buy me all those new auto mail parts I've been looking at!" Suddenly she turned around to look at Ed. "You know, I made me really happy," She said, looking from his face to his arm and back.

"Yeah? What did?" Ed asked with a slight scowl on his face.

"Never mind," She said and turned back around, giggled, and began walking again. Ember just rolled her eyes, _men are just idiots! _She herself chased after her friend as the two boys looked dumbfounded.

Not long after, though, the two from the wrestling stepped in front of the girls. "You two again?" Winry said.

"Yeah, thanks for humiliating us! Now fork over the money before Jumbo here gets angry!" The small man from before said.

"What? No way!" Winry said, hunching over the bag of money protectively.

"Yeah!" Ember yelled as Ed and Al stepped in front of the girls. "We won it fair and square!"

"Ha! Yeah right! I know for a fact that little shrimp cheated us to win!"

"You used alchemy to cheat people out of their money!" Ed yelled, pointing at the man.

"And you used alchemy to cheat back!" The man pointed back at Ed.

Ember looked at the blonde with distain as Winry questioned him, "Alchemy, Ed? Is that true?"

"Yeah," Ed replied.

Ember looked at Al. "Where you in on this, too?"

"Uh," Al turned to glance at her and replied, "Yeah."

"Edward," Winry said looking at him.

"Yeah?" He said, but was promptly beaten over the head by a wrench.

"Winry-!" Al began, but was attacked by his friend as Ember ducked out of the blonde girl's way.

The two men saw Winry fast approaching and held onto each other and screamed like little girls. Ember just watched as Winry beat the crap out of the two and began to walk away from them.

Ed, who had gotten up began to yell at Winry, but was knocked over again by the solid metal object. Al began to worry over his brother as Winry turned around and said, "You're such a jerk, Ed." As she walked away, Ember linked arms with her friend and Al just watched them walk away while his brother lay twitching on the ground.

The two girls just walked and walked until Ember finally broke the silence. "Hey, Winry?"

"Hm?"

"Will you be alright on your own? I'm just really tired for some reason and I kinda want to go to sleep," She said, almost apologetically.

"Yeah, sure," Winry said. "Don't worry about me. Just beat those two up if you see them at the hotel."

Ember nodded and began to walk in the opposite direction. She didn't know why, but for some reason she felt oddly tired, but not sleepy tired, just mentally shot tired. She also felt strangely confused for some reason, but she didn't know what about, which only confused her more.

Slowly she walked through the streets to the hotel bracing herself before walking through the door, just in case the brothers were in there. Which, thankfully, they weren't. She walked in and sat down on the little couch that was in the room. Suddenly, her fingers itched to play the guitar.

"Damn it, instincts, what are you telling me?" She said out loud as she got up and opened the guitar case. She blinked a few times when a white slip of paper fell out. She picked it up and read the graceful writing that very rarely belonged to a man.

_I apologize that I could not tell you this when you were in the shop, but there were too many prying ears. I know you must be confused and lost, I have felt the feeling before. You can find answers on the tenth row of shelves in book number 17784 on page 562 in the local Library. I hope you understand why you are here better now. You look beautiful, just like your grandmother when I first met her. I haven't seen you in a long time, but I hope you stay the same happy baby I remember. _

_Goodbye my little Niña. _

Ember stared, dumbfounded, at the note until she remembered something that had never really been in her mind much. When she was only a year old, her grandfather had gone missing. There were a lot of people that had talked behind her grandmother's back, saying that she had finally chased him away. But she never let it bother her, she always said, "Oh, don't worry about the stupid people. Your grandfather was as stubborn as a goat. Even if I was death him –er _her_self, he would just look me in the eye and say, 'What's for dinner?' That's why I love him." That would be when little Ember would say, "Eww! Grandma!"

Ember felt tears begin to roll down her cheeks. She had met her grandfather and she didn't even know it. He had been stuck in this world just like she had. And she didn't even say proper goodbye to him.

*~*~**~*~*

Ed and Al sat in the same spot where the girls had left them. "I can't believe Winry and Ember aren't back yet," Al finally said. "You know, it was wrong to use alchemy in that contest."

"Well, I only did it 'cause those con-men were cheating," Ed mumbled beside his brother.

Al sighed, "Yeah, but…" He stopped before he even finished, he knew that there was no getting through his older brothers hard head. So there was no use even trying.

*~*~**~*~*

Winry walked through the town that she had always dreamed of visiting, but somehow had never envisioned the trip going like it had. She _couldn't believe_ that Edward would use alchemy to cheat like that! What's worse is he didn't even have the nerve to let her in on it! She was so tired and felt so alone, but she didn't want to go back to the hotel. The Elrics might be there.

She stopped as she saw a girl sitting on a bench in front of her. On closer inspection she recognized her as the girl from the wrestling match. She was holding her auto mail arm and testing her wrist. She didn't even notice when Winry came up to her.

"Did you hurt your arm?" Winry asked. The girl looked up in surprise that there was someone near her. Winry smiled pleasantly, "I saw you there, in the wrestling match."

The dark skinned girl rubbed the back of her head, "Uh, yeah…" she said, drifting off.

"Can I sit down?" Winry asked.

"Huh? Sure," the girl replied, scooting over for the blonde to sit.

As he scooted Winry heard a little bit of clanking from her legs. "So, your legs, their auto mail as well?"

"Yeah, they are," The girl looked up at her, then sat up and smiled. "How'd you know?"

"Lucky for you," Winry said as she sat down and smiled at her, "I'm a mechanic." She paused, and then added, "You really banged your arm up, huh?"

The girl agreed and Winry grabbed it and held it in the light with a "let me see". She tested out her arm and felt her eyes widen in awe. "Impressive," She said. "The structure is so simple and effective, yet very efficient." Winry didn't see the girl smile as she said that but kept talking as she examined the arm, telling the girl next to her what was messed up after the match.

"Wow, you really know your stuff!"

"Who ever made this is very talented and knows more about it than I do," Winry continued. "You should have them take a look at it as soon as possible." The girl's eyes fell.

"You're right," She said. "I know I should, but…" She stopped there and yawned, putting her arms behind her head. Winry just smiled and looked up at the moon with the girl.

"So how did it happen?" Winry asked.

The girl was caught slightly off guard from this but soon told her story. "There was a train wreck," she said, seeming to drift off into her own little world as she told her story. She had been in a train wreck when she was little. Her parents had died in the crash and she was left to live on the streets while missing an arm and both legs. Then, one day, a man stopped in front of her and leaned down to help her.

"And that was your mechanic?" Winry asked.

"Yeah," she said, with an appreciative look on her face. "Domenic took me in and custom-made this auto mail for me."

Winry smiled. "That's all the more reason to get him to fix your arm. He cares about you."

"I guess you've got a good point," the girl leaned back with her arms behind her head again.

"Then why don't you tell him?"

"Because then I'll have to tell him I lost in that dumb contest," She replied. "I can't do that. The only reason I entered that stupid thing was to prove that his auto mail was the best." Her head had by now fallen as she leaned with her elbows on her knees.

There was silence until Winry said, "I've got it! All you need is some other way to prove your auto mail."

"Yeah, easier said than done," She said sadly.

"What if you could show up a State Alchemist who also happens to be the champion now?" Winry said challengingly. "Wouldn't that prove beyond a doubt how awesome your equipment is?"

"How can I pull that one off?"

Winry smiled and said with absolute confidence, "Don't worry. You'll have me."

*~*~**~*~*

Edward and Alphonse finally decided that it was time to head back to the hotel room to see if the girls had gone there. When they walked in, they saw Ember rolled up in a little ball on the couch. She was snoring softly and Winry was no were in sight. The brothers both made the little "Shh" motions with their fingers at each other. Al then gently picked up the sleeping girl and gingerly carried her over and placed her on one of the beds. She rolled over onto her side and unconsciously moved to make herself more comfortable as Al brought the covers over her and tucked her in. Once he was done, he crept over to his brother.

"I guess the two of them must've gone off in different directions, huh?" Ed whispered.

"Yeah," Al agreed. "You should get some sleep too brother, I'll wake you up if Winry comes," he added when he saw the huge yawn his brother made.

Edward made to argue, but thought better of it when he heard Ember snort slightly and mumble as she turned to her other side.

*~*~**~*~*

Winry and the girl that she had now learned was named Paninya now sat in an empty work room. Both of them were so preoccupied with Winry's tinkering that they both jumped slightly when they heard Paninya's name said from the door way. "What are you doing here?" Said a tall man with a frown seemingly set in his face and graying hair.

"He-Hello, Domenic," Paninya said nervously.

Winry instantly popped up and bowed her head to the man. "Hi! It's a real pleasure to meet you, sir. My name's Winry Rockbell, from Risenbool. I'm an auto mail mechanic, too."

After a brief moment of silence the man's face paled significantly and seems almost frightened. "Did you say you're a Rockbell from Risenbool?" He pointed a finger to her. "A-are you related to Pinako, the leopardess of Risenbool?" He seemed to be panicking slightly now. "I can still hear the bone-chilling laugh!"

"You knew my grandmother?" Winry said with surprise in her voice.

Domenic freaked out a little bit more until he saw the state of Paninya's arm. The cover was off and all of the wires were lose from Winry's tinkering. "What happened to your arm?" he said very seriously.

"Nothing!" Paninya said hastily as she pulled her arm close to her.

Domenic frowned deeper and turned away. "Do what you want."

*~*~**~*~*

The next morning Ember woke up to find that she was in a bed. But she didn't remember getting in a bed. She didn't even remember falling asleep. She just seemed to blink and night turned into morning. She looked over and saw a snoring Edward and Al was sitting on the couch silently. He looked at her when she sat up.

She stretched and smiled at him. "'Mornin'," she said before she remembered the previous day's events.

"Good morning," Al said softly.

Ember stood up and put on her shoes. "I'm going out," She said, she could feel the paper in her pants pocket and she knew that it was most likely now or never that she would get the chance or excuse to stray away from her companions.

"Ember," Al's voice stopped her as she reached the doorway, he sounded truly sorry. "About yesterday -,"

"Don't sweat it," She said. "I understand, but I'll bet anything that Winry's gonna have hell to pay." And with that she walked out of the door.

It didn't take her too long to find the library either. There was only one in Rush Valley, which surprised her, considering the size of the place. She soon learned that the locals were very nice to visitors as well, everyone who she asked for directions gladly obliged. However, the place was_ huge_ and the walking distance was quite far.

When she finally found the building, she was shocked by the size of it. That could probably explain why there was only one. She ascended the steps in front and walked through the door. She was cheer fully greeted by the thin man working the front desk.

"Are you looking for anything in particular?" he asked.

"Oh, no," She said. "I'm just browsing really. I've run out of books at home."

The man nodded with understanding as he continued on with his work at the desk. Once she was out of sight, she read the letter again. "Tenth row," she muttered to herself as she counted down the rows of books. "Number 17784," she said when she got there and grabbed the book from the shelf. She looked at the title oddly when she saw the title _The Great Questionable Things of the World_, but she just shrugged it off as she carried the large book to the nearest table. "Now, page 562," she turned to the page and ran her finger down the small and slightly fading print. "Here we go," She said as she set out trying to read the words of the worn old book.

*~*~**~*~*

Ed sighed impatiently as he and Al sat on a bench. Ed was leaned back all the way with his arms on the back and his face looking toward the sky. "Where'd the hell she go?" he said out loud, not really asking anyone in particular. "I'm not sure we'll ever see her again."

"She must've spent the night outside," Al said.

Edward growled and was about to give a smart comment, but was interrupted by a "hey". Winry ran up to the brothers with Paninya right behind her. "Good, I found you!" Winry said happily.

"_You _found _us_? We looked for you everywhere!" Ed said angrily.

"Sorry," Winry laughed it off. "I guess I did lose my temper yesterday."

"Hi there fella's," Paninya said, raising her auto mail arm up in greeting.

Al recognized the girl from the day before and said, "You're the girl from that contest!"

"Her names Paninya," Winry said. "And she was nice enough to let me say at her place last night."

"Really?" Al asked.

"So, Edward," Winry said and Ed grunted at her. "Can I see your pocket watch for a second?"

"Why should I do that?" He said grumpily.

"Please!"

"Okay," he said angrily, taking the watch out of his pocket. "But you can only look this time." He gasped when Paninya's auto mail hand swept the watch from his and climbed onto the roof of the nearest building. She turned around with a big smile on her face, "Thanks a lot!"

"What are you doing?" Ed shouted.

"It's you against her," Winry said. "If you can snatch your precious watch back from her before she gets it to the pawn shop, then you win."

Paninya giggled, "Come and take it little man if you can get me!"

"What the hell? Winry!" He looked at her as if for an explanation.

"Better run if you don't want that watch to get hawked," She said wryly, then added, "And no cheating this time."

Edward made an angry sound and ran after Paninya while his brother called out to him from his spot on the ground. The chase was on.

"Winry, why did you do that?" Al asked.

"It's simple," She replied. "I want Ed to gain some appreciation for good auto mail."

*~*~**~*~*

People stared as two teenagers ran across the roof tops of rush valley. There was the dark-skinned girl that many people knew as Paninya, but there was also a short blonde boy shouting profanities at her, and mainly things about his a watch.

While this was going on, Ember was still inside the library, and was momentarily distracted from the book in her lap by the sudden pounding on the roof, as if someone were running and she could swear she heard Edwards voice. However, she went back to her reading. Not long after, she finally found the entry that she had been look for.

_Vwayajètan – One of the many names for the legendary travelers of worlds. No one really knows whether or not these story's are true or not, however many believe them to be an old fairy tale. According to the legends, these people are not of this world. Some depict them as evil beings that cause nothing but pain but others say that they are great gods or angels sent from the heavens to save the world from the evils. All of them, though, entail some sort of supernatural activities that the Vwayajètan have control over that go beyond the powers of alchemy. Some believe that these people are what can be described as "Human Gates". "Gate" referring to a term used in some cultures to describe the passage way to the "other side". They have also been described as "Soulful Homunculus", using the term homunculus to describe the "powers" that these people seem to have, but with the added "Soulful" would make them still human. However, some of the more recent descriptions of these people derive from the new belief of "Parallel Worlds" which describe other worlds that are mirrors of our own, but with one or more different characteristics. Because of this comparison, the more modern term for these people is "Parallels"._

Ember stopped reading. Parallel, that's what she was. She was a freak from another world that had special powers because of it, but she wasn't the only one. And who's to say that some of them haven't found their way back home before?

With a new found determination, she stood up and walked past the librarian, gave him a smile and a curt nod, and walked out the door. Now all she had to do was find Winry or the brothers…

She nearly fell as an explosion rocked the ground. _I think I found Ed,_ she thought to herself and began to wander the streets in the general direction of the explosion, looking for her friends. It didn't take her long to find the alley way that had the dark-skinned girl from before and all three of her friends standing in it. She hadn't been there in time to hear the exchange, but the slight blush plus the smile on Winry's face told her all she needed to know. She walked up beside Al with a smirk on her face and her hands behind her back.

"So," Ember drawled. "What's goin' on?"

*~*~**~*~*

Ember and Al walked back to the hotel that they were staying at. The two of them were speaking happily after visiting Paninya and Domenic.

"By the way," Ember said as an idea came to her head. "When are you going to teach me to fight?"

Al laughed awkwardly, "Well, I – I don't know. When are you going to teach me guitar?"

Ember laughed this time, "When did we come to that agreement?"

"Just now," Al joined in. "You really are a good player," He added.

Ember blushed and ducked her head and said, "Thanks." She was about to add more but was alerted by Al's sharp intake of breath. She turned to look at him as he began to panic and point in a terrified manner. She looked to where he was pointing and saw a thin, yet sturdy looking woman and a very large man standing in the doorway of a house. "Al, who is that?"

"T-T-Teacher," he said in a terrified whisper.

* * *

Wierdo: Next chapter: IZUMI CURTIS!!! YAYA!!!

Ed/Al: Someone please save us...

Wierdo: Oh, by the way, sorry if the end seems kind of rushed. I just got a new puppy and I knew I would have much longer to finish it. :D And remember, you love me soooooooo REVIEW!


	23. Chapter 22

*Ember, Al, Ed, Winry... Well, everyone in her brain really... stare at Wierdo as she grows mushrooms Tamaki style*

Ember: So.... Whats this all aout?

Al: Something about reveiws, work, and depressed was mentioned a while ago.

Wierdo: *stands up* The longest chapter I have ever written and NO REVEIWS!!! OVER 110 HITS AND NO REVIEWS!!!

Winry: Wierdo, calm down... It's ok...

Wierdo: *as her voice gets softer as she slowly goes back to her little corner* Thats why I waited a month to update... I wanted to wait until _someone_ reviewed... *sigh* but no one did... And I got bored...

Ed: I think that now is a good time to point out that she owns apsolutely nothing from the tv series that this is based off of befor the story sta- *is interupted by a color guard rifle firmly knocking him out*

Wierdo: SHUT UP!!!

* * *

Ember walked with Al next to the strange man and woman. Somehow they had been suckered into showing the couple to the hotel. Ember eyed them suspiciously. They both _seemed _nice enough, but from Al's reaction, in this case, things are _definitely_ not what they seem.

Finally, they reached the hotel and Al went bursting through the door, followed shortly by a still slightly confused Ember.

"You're not gonna believe who's here!" He shouted. Edward quickly got up and Ember turned to look at the very large man, who now looked very scary. _Hey! Where did the woman go?_

Ed paled immediately and even became a shade of blue.

"Ed do you know this man?" Winry asked.

"Yeah, and that means…"He didn't finish as he got up and race to the window in an escape attempt. However, he was met by a firm kick in the face and went flying backwards.

"And just where do you think you're going, Ed?" Said the voice Ember recognized as belonging to the woman before. She sighed and calmly made her way through the window. "You've always been so predictable."

"He-Hello, Teacher, wh-what are you doing here?" Ed asked timidly. He looked the most frightened that Ember and probably Winry had ever seen. _Okay, note to self: Don't piss her off! _Ember deducted.

"That's your teacher?" Winry asked. "But that means she's…"

"An alchemist," Ed finished for her. "She taught us everything we know."

_Like to fear her?_ Ember mentally asked, but didn't voice.

"Where is Alphonse?" She asked angrily after scanning the room. Al cowered beside Ember and then shot up, "Ma'am!"

"Oh! I'm so sorry," she said apologetically and walked towards Al. She didn't seem to recognize him. "I want to thank you so much for escorting us here," She said, rubbing the back of her head and looking from Al to Ember. "Do you know where I can find Alphonse?"

"Uh, well…" Al would have been sweating buckets if he had been in a human body, and Ember could almost see him doing so at that moment. "I'm Alphonse."

"Yes, of course you are…" She began, almost laughing as if she thought it was a joke, but then her eyes widened and in one swift motion, she flipped al onto the ground, nearly giving Ember a heart attack from being inches away from flying metal hitting her in the face. "So you're hiding in disguises now?" She questioned angrily. "Don't worry, I've had plenty of stories about my idiot apprentices going against everything I've taught them to become the scum of the military!"

As she said this Alphonse was lying, dazed on the floor, Edward was hiding behind Winry with that same blue-ish tinge to his face, and Ember and Winry were both looking at the woman with slightly confused, yet understanding, looks.

"Isn't that right?"

* * *

"Are you sure you two are gonna be alright?" Winry asked, leaning in towards the brothers who were tied up in the seat across from the two girls.

"It looks like that man can tie one heck of a knot," Ember remarked, sympathizing, seeing how tightly bound the brothers were.

"Yeah," Al said. "We just didn't expect her to come looking for us, that's all."

"Damn it!" Ed swore, it was obvious that he was in much more pain than Al. Being flesh and blood and extremely tightly to a soul trapped in armor. "She took my watch!" He whined. "And I can't say that I'm exactly comfortable like this, plus I think we're heading for Dublith, too."

"Where?" Ember asked.

"Our teacher's home town," Al replied, and Ember nodded, making an 'Oh' shape with her mouth.

"I'm actually kinda surprised," Winry said. "I always imagined some old crone, but she's a beautiful lady."

"You make a good point," Ember said.

Ed just looked at Winry in his own surprise. "How are you surprised? You met her years ago, Winry."

"We first became her students in Risenbool," Al added. "Back when we were boys."

"I don't remember that," She said, her face lined with confusion.

"Of course you do," Al insisted. "It was that day it wouldn't stop raining."

Al then went on to tell the tale of how they met their teacher.

* * *

Three children walked down a dirt road, century old wagon tracks deep within its surface showing the age of their home. Of the three, there were two blonde boys that were almost definitely brothers and a girl who seemed to be like a sister, but not quite. The sky over head was filled with dark, gloomy clouds. Promising a very nasty storm for the children, but never the less, they made their way home. The one who seemed the younger brother was calling out materials and percentages.

"This is dumb!" the older brother said with an annoyed edge to his voice. "This would all go a lot faster if we started human composition."

"Why are you guys studying all the time?" The girl asked curiously. "What are you up to?"

The two brothers turned around and looked at the girl and with an almost 'I-know-something-you-don't-know' air to their response said, "Can't tell."

"It's none of your business, Winry!" The older brother called out to the girl as he ran ahead.

"It's no fair!" she said angrily. "You guys are always hiding stuff from me!"

The younger brother laughed and began to run after his brother, "See ya!"

"Hey!" Winry called after them. "We're having stew tonight! Don't be late!"

"Okay!"

"Great, Winry! See ya then!"

The two brothers kept running until they reached a bridge and slowed to a walk. The older brother got up on the railing of it and held his arms out for balance. As he did so he said to his brother, "Whoever invented stew was a genius. It has milk in it, but it still tastes good!"

"What're you talking about?" His younger brother who was walking in the middle of the bridge asked.

"You know I hate milk, and normally you wouldn't put in vegetable soup, but in stew in works great!" The older brother replied. "It's like being a good scientist; you have to think outside the box sometimes."

Later on, the two reached their home, but when they entered, there was not a single word of welcome spoken. There was not another person in the house. And no mother came to hug them and ask how their day had been. However, it seemed as if the boys were used to this and they just walked upstairs to a study filled with books. They sat there and studied for a long time. Eventually, the older brother was asleep with an open book over his face and the younger was looking out the window with a book in his lap.

"You know we do have limits, brother," the younger said as the older slid the book down his face. "There's no way we can learn this whole thing on our own," He pointed out.

"I know."

"We're missing a step in human alchemy," The younger spoke again. "What do you think it is?"

"I have no idea," the older brother replied. "My question is, why is it forbidden in the first place?"

"I guess because it's so dangerous, and no one's been able to do it before. Remember that country they say died in a single night?"

"You mean the story of the Philosophers Stone in the Eastern Dessert?" The older brother asked as he sat up.

"Yeah," replied the younger. "Someone tried to make a complete human and the whole population got dragged into it."

"That's just a fairy-tale," the older brother picked up a book and began to flip through some pages and gasped when he read something in said book. "Just look at these formulas," he nearly whispered, and his brother came to look over his shoulder. "If we could learn to make since of them…"

"But," the younger brother began. "Even if we could understand them, transmutations that deal with human are still forbidden."

"I've already decided, Al," the older brother said. "We're bringing mom back." Al's eyes widened as he looked at his determined brother. "No matter what," Ed added.

As the two brothers sat at the table of Winry and her grandmother, lighting flashed with ferocity outside. Winry cowered as another 'BOOM' rocked the tiny town of Risenbool. The electricity went out for a split second before coming on again. Pinako stared out the window, looking at the scene of the world outside.

"I just hope they can keep the river barricades intact," the little woman said with just a little bit of fear lining her words. The two brothers looked at each other and in silent agreement grabbed their rain coats and when out the door to the place they know the river to be. "Boys, stop!" Pinako ordered at them.

"We're gonna go help!" Ed yelled in reply as the two Rockbells looked after the brothers in fear.

As the two brothers made their way to the river, they heard the yelling of men working to keep the water out of their homes and in the river. As one man was splashed in the face he remarked, "This is bad," and as he turned to yell for more sand bags he noticed the two brothers bending over a piece of paper.

"Here goes," Ed said as he placed his hands on the transmutation circle and made one stone pillar come from the ground to help block the rushing water. "We did it!" He said cheerfully, but is victory was short won because water began to shoot through the column. The brothers backed up quickly as the water came rushing towards them.

"The circle washed away!" Al yelled in despair. "So now what?"

"Who's that?" they both heard someone say and they turned to see a tall woman standing near the barricades with a defiant look on her face.

"Stand back," She said. "This could get a bit messy."

The men began to try to stop her, saying things like "it's too dangerous", but they all stopped as a large man stepped in between her and the rest of them. She clapped her hands and slammed them on the ground and the two brothers stared in amazement as a long rocky wall began to form around the river.

"No way," Ed said. "She didn't use a circle, and she moved all that earth. All in one go!"

"There," The woman said, standing up. "That should hold for a while."

"I can't believe it!"

"Who in the world are you?"

"Oh," She said, turning to look at the men, "just a couple passing by." However, she then spit out a bit of blood and many of the men panicked.

"Where's your hospital?"

"Somebody get a doctor!"

"It's alright, lady, just hold on!"

The next day, the same woman sat on a bed in someone's home while people voiced their thanks to her. "The whole town of Risenbool is in your debt," one man said.

"Coming through!" said a voice as a blonde boy and his brother made their way through the crowd. "Hey there, old lady!" Ed said.

In a few swift movements she was throwing the bed at the boys. "A word of advice, don't call me old."

"We-we're sorry, ma'am!" Al said, and the two brothers crouched into a bow.

"We want to be your apprentices," Ed spoke up for the two of them. They both smiled nervously, "If you'll take us?"

"Apprentices?" she said.

"We can already do a little bit of alchemy," Al said, "but we need to know more!"

"We wanna be the best there is with your help!" Ed added.

The woman turned away and said, "No."

The brother's faces fell, "But-but why not?"

"I'm not looking to take on any students, and besides, I've got a store to run. I need to get back to Dublith," her eyes widened slightly as the two boys latched themselves to her.

"Please take us with you!" They said, "Just as apprentices!"

"Oh! Shut up!" she yelled annoyed, and began to attempt to shake them off. "What are you trying to accomplish by learning alchemy anyway? Just tell me that!"

Both brothers lowered their gazes almost in shame, but then Ed looked her in the eye and said, "We wanna help others out!"

"Do you have your parents' permission?" she questioned, and both brothers' faces fell again, but this time in grief.

"I'm afraid they have no parents," Pinako said from behind the woman, catching everyone off guard. "_I've_ been taking care of them since their mother passed on."

The strange woman looked from the older Pinako to the young, determined faces of Edward and Alphonse Elric. Finally, she sighed, "It always happens," she said partially to herself. "I'm just too nice." She walked over and crouched down to the boys, putting on hand on each of their shoulders, "I'll give them one month. Do you mind if I take them with me for that long?" She looked to Pinako. "I'll test them to see if their even worth teaching alchemy to in the first place. See if they have the right talents," she added.

"And what happens if you find out they don't?" Pinako said with a straight face, completely opposite of her granddaughter standing right next to her with a look of slight confusion and fear.

"Then I send them back right away," Said the woman, mimicking Pinakos poker face.

"But what if we pass?" Al asked. "What'll happen then?"

The woman looked to the two brothers and smiled, "Then we'll begin your alchemy training." As she said this both boy's faces lit up and shone with happiness.

Later on that day, after the brothers had hastily finish packing the few belongings that they needed, Pinako and Winry stood beside a train with both brothers hanging out the window to say good-bye.

"You do realized that we won't be coming back in a month, don't'cha?" Ed said to his life-long friends.

The two Rockbells smiles and Pinako said, "I knew you'd say that!"

As the train set off and was well on its way, the two brothers talked animatedly to each other about what they expected to see when they got there. Fantasizing about huge laboratories and what they would learn and what they'll be able to read.

Suddenly Alphonse came up with a question. "Teacher, at the river you did alchemy without a transmutation circle. How did you pull that off?" Both of them looked at her in wonder. "Are you a State Alchemist?" That question was a bit of a mistake. He realized this instantly by the dark and angry look that came over her face.

"State Alchemists are thug's who take an innocent life without blinking if someone gave the order!" She said angrily to the boy, and scaring the other passengers on the train as well. After that they two boys were on the ground, hugging each other in fear of the woman as she went back to the peaceful state she was in before.

* * *

"Oh, yeah," Winry said, finally remembering that night and the day that followed. Funny how things seem to just slip out of your mind like that.

"So, I'm guessing you two stayed with her?" Ember said.

But she was not answered because of Ed's exclamation of, "Got it!" and the rope binding the brothers fell to the ground. "Much better!" He said as he stretched out a little bit and got up to open the door. "Let's move out!" He said walking through it. However, as he ran through the hallway, he was met by a flying State Alchemist Watch.

As he fell back, Al exclaimed, "Brother!" and bend down to help him and looked up to see his teacher and her husband looking at both of them threateningly.

"All that work and you still haven't learned a thing," She said. "Have you, boys?"

* * *

The four teenagers and the two adults walked through the town of Dublith. Ember and Winry were looking around at the scenery and Ed and Al both looked very depressed. "It looks like our escape plan didn't work, brother," Al said sadly.

"I know," Ed said, his face returning to its blue color. "I've got chills just thinking about what she's gonna do to us now."

"Yeah," Al agreed.

"Teacher!" Said a little girl from her yard, she wore a big smile on her face.

"Hey, there Manny," Teacher leaned down to the girl with a smile on her face. "So how's Chico doing?"

"She's gonna have babies soon," Manny said, looking to a cat with a swollen belly laying on the front steps of the house, asleep. Ember had to hold back a slight laugh at the irony. Of course she would be the only one that would understand the little joke, they probably didn't have Spanish here, but even with her limited vocabulary in the language, it did seem pretty funny to her.

"Goodness, your house is going to be crowded," Teacher said.

"Izumi, you're back!" said a friendly sounding voice.

They all turned to see a tall, muscular man (although not anywhere near Armstrong) carrying a bag of something on his shoulder. "Hey mason!" Ed said in greeting.

"Is that you Ed?" Mason said, walking over to the blonde. "So, you've finally grown a little bit!" He laughed, patting him on the head. "But uh," He looked at Al. "Who's you're armored side-kick?"

"It's me Mason! Alphonse," Al replied.

Mason's eyes grew and he laughed a little bit nervously. "That's one heck of a growth-spurt."

After a few introductions, they all headed to the home/meat shop of Izumi Curtis and sat down to eat. Not long into the meal, Winry noticed that Ed wasn't eating anything, which surprised her both her and Ember.

"Are you going to eat anything, Ed?" Winry finally asked.

"I don't have much of an appetite," He said.

"Eat it now, Ed," Izumi said immediately.

"Yes, ma'am," Ed replied quickly and began to eat.

"You, too, Al," Mason said cheerfully, pointing a fork with some beef on it at the armor. "It's really tasty!"

"No, that's okay," Al said. "I'm full." Ember paused slightly, but continued on eating. She didn't miss the well hidden sadness in his words. She felt a pang of sadness for him. Fate is the cruelest thing a person can meet.

"Well, anyway," Mason said, "What have you two been up to since you've been gone?"

The brothers looked at each other for a split second. Then, Ed began to tell their story, adding in a little white lie here and there to cover-up things that they didn't want certain people to know about, and Al interjecting in a few places to add some things. By the time they finished, all the food had been eaten.

"Wow," Mason remarked. "It sounds like you two have been on one heck of a journey since you left."

"You shouldn't be getting into so much trouble," Sig Curtis said to the brothers.

"Oh, no," Al said. "It's not all bad; we've met several people along the way, seriously! We even helped a lady deliver her baby a few years ago."

"Please," Ed laughed. "You call that helping? We just ran around screaming our heads off thinking she was going to die."

"I guess so," Al agreed, "but the point is, we did our best. It was like that old proverb. We a mother gives birth, she risked her life, and when the baby is born, everyone around her is blessed."

"Yes, that's true," Izumi said. "I'm sure it was the same way when your mother gave birth to you, you boys should be grateful for the lives you have."

"And what about you Izumi?" Winry asked. "Do you have a child of your own?"

Suddenly, Mason slammed his hands on the table in front of him. They all looked at him curiously. "Oh, I'm sorry," he apologized, slightly embarrassed. "Uh," He touched the table in front of him again. "I was just, uh…"

* * *

Wierdo: Now, be good little boys and girls and update this time.

Ember: Please, she's even more annoying when she's depressed.

Wierdo: :D Yep

Ember: *rolls eyes*


	24. Chapter 24

Wierdo: **Vampire Note, Darkprincess123, **and** XxSpIcYpEpPeRxX, **I love you guys~!

Ember: I suggest running... fast...

Liz: She's been slightly neurotic... er lately, what with the end of school being this week...

Ed: Really? How is that even possible to know? *sarcasm*

Liz: I live with her ^^;

Ed: Oh

Sarah: Hi, you guys! Long time no see!

Liz: You came at a very dangerous time.

Sarah: Why?

Ed: You'll see...

Wierdo: *magically from her bedroom* Voices in my head shut up! I'm trying to read!

Ed: You can't tell me what to do! You don't own me! Or Al, Teacher, Sig, Mason, Manny...

Wierdo: We get it!

* * *

Ember now stood outside of the Izumi household with the brothers, Winry, and Mason. After, Ember guessed, Winry asked an uncomfortable question, Mason attempted to cover his odd behavior by asking Ed to show him some alchemy. Thus, they ended up outside watching Al draw a circle in the dirt pathway to create an incredibly detailed horse that went up to about Ember's knees.

"Wow! You really have gotten good!" Mason exclaimed while Ember and Winry smiled.

Ed grinned and pushed up his sleeves, "Alright, my turn!"

However, before he could display his alchemic powers, they were interrupted by the laughter of children. The three boys ran past the alchemists and company and crowed around Izumi. They all said words of welcome and one said, "My train broke while we were playing; now it doesn't roll right, so can you fix it?"

The woman bent down and held the wooden structure in her hands, examining the train. "One of the axels is broken," She diagnosed. "Ok, give me that," she said while taking a stick out of one of the children's mouths.

"Come on!" the train's owner complained. "Can't you just fix it with alchemy?"

"No," The teacher said firmly. "You shouldn't rely on alchemy all the time. If you can fix it with your own hands, then you should." She handed the now fixed train to the boy, "there you go, all fixed."

"Yeah, but now it looks all ugly," the boy said.

"There are far uglier sights," She stood up. "In the future, I suggest that if you want all your sights to be beautiful then you don't break them in the first place."

The boy laughed nervously as his friends sniggered behind him. The boys waved good-bye and as soon as they left the girl from before ran to Izumi, out of breath and with tears in her eyes. The woman immediately caught on to the emergency.

"What is it Manny? What's wrong?"

"It's Chico, my cat," The little girl looked up at her and explained hurriedly what had happened.

A dog stood in front of the little girl's home, barking with its haunches raised. That is, until a shadow passed over it. Looking up it saw a huge, imposing suit of armor stand above it. Needless to say, it ran away without a seconds notice.

Ember, Ed, and Winry finally caught up to Alphonse and looked up in the direction of the dogs barking. The roof.

"The cat must be up there," Winry voiced and Ember nodded in agreement.

"I'm on it!" Ed said as he ran to the drain pipe and quickly climbed his way up to the roof. What he saw was the injured and bleeding mama cat with its newborn kittens nursing, unaware of their mothers state. One of them lifted its head to move away from the nipples and began to roll off of the roof. Edward saw this, and quickly clapped his hands and created a hand on the side of the building to catch the kitten.

Ember heard his teacher who had caught up to them gasp as Winry yelled, "Nice catch!"

Later they all stood around Teacher as the no-longer breathing cat lay on her lap. Manny sat stroking the cat and repeating its name. "Teacher, is Chico broken somewhere?"

The woman just shook her head in reply. "No, Manny, Chico's dead," Izumi said gently.

Manny's face turned to shock. "But you can make her better, can't you teacher? You can fix anything! You can fix Chico too!"

As she said this, the eyes of all four teenagers became even more downcast and sad than before. Ember bit her lip and Winry whimpered. Death is never something easy for a child to accept.

"No, I can't," Izumi explained. "Things and lives are different and I'm not a god. Chico's life has ended, and she isn't ever coming back."

"But…" Manny's tears filled her voice. "She was… She was just here!"

"I can't bring Chico back for you, but I can help you make a grave for her, okay?"

They all stood around the grave as the girl cried. Winry and Ember rubbing her back to console her as her sobs filled the air.

"Hey," Ember said softly, nudging her in the direction of a basket holding three tiny kittens.

"Look over there," Winry added as she looked at the kittens as well.

Manny looked at the small newborns and reached out to pet them, a sad smile on her face.

Not long afterwards, Sig, Ember, and Winry walked Manny home with her new kittens. The teacher and her pupils watched and waved good bye as the four walked away.

The walk to the house was a silent one, ended by a quiet farewell and a thank you from a mother with red eyes. On the way back to the meat shop that doubled as the Curtis home Ember realized some thing.

"Sig?"

"Hmm?" He grunted.

"She's gonna beat the shit out of them, isn't she?" Ember asked, looking at the huge man as Winry looked at her in surprise.

"Yes," he grunted in response.

"I thought as much."


	25. Chapter 25

Wierdo: Hi guys! What's up? *Hides behind Al as various objects fly at her from different directions* hehe... Sorry?

Al: *Sweatdrop* maybe you should update sooner next time? Because this seems to happen a lot.

Wierdo: Maybe... Oh well, anyway! In this chapter Ed and Al are shipped off to le island misterioso (I probably just mutalated the Spanish language) and we start a semi-little side story even though it's kinda short... Yay! Embers gonna finally learn how to kick some ass! Woot! :D

Ember: That's a dangerous idea you know. I might kick your ass.

Wierdo: No you can't

Ember: Yes I can

Wierdo: No you can't. You're in _my _head, meaning you're all my puppets! Mwahahahahaha!

Ed: Not me you don't own me or Al, or anyone else from Amestris!

Wierdo: *eye twich* But I still kick your ass anyway! I've got the home-brain advantage!

Ed: Screw you!

Wierdo: No thanks...

* * *

Ember and Winry sat in a small boat with Izumi as Sig rowed them away from the island that she had just dropped left Ed and Al on. As the two confused girls called after their friends, Winry nearly fell into the lake that the small landmass was located in. Before she could reach the water, though, Sig caught her.

"Don't move around girl, you'll get wet," The large man said as Winry let out a strangled "Okay".

"What do you want them to do?" Ember asked as Winry sat back down.

"I don't want them to do anything," Izumi calmly replied, staring into the distance.

"That's right," Sig agreed.

"What's right?" Winry demanded. "You left them on an uninhabited island without any food or water! And what do you mean you don't want them to do anything?"

"I mean just that," The older woman replied just as calmly.

"Right."

"You know," Winry stood up again to look at Ed and Al's teacher. "I just don't think I understand you people at all!"

"It's okay to do nothing," Was her reply. Which was met by confused looks on both of the girls faces. "It's alright to just stop and think things over for a while. Those two need some time to do that right now."

* * *

Ember and Winry sat at the kitchen table of the Curtis residence. They gotten out the guitar, and Ember was teaching Winry some of the basics of the instrument.

"Now, in a C chord, your fingers go here, here, and here," she said, placing Winry's fingers where they were supposed to go.

"Excuse me, Ember?" Izumi said from the door way. "May I speak with you?"

Confused, Ember nodded and followed her to the yard. "What is it Mrs. Curtis?"

"You're not from this world are you?" Izumi asked, turning around to her pupils' friend.

Embers eyes widened before she nodded. "How did you know?"

"Because you act like you are," she replied calmly. "When I first saw you, you were walking with Al in the streets, looking at things that most people here look over without a second thought like they were the most alien things in the world."

"I-I'm not that obvious am I?" Ember laughed nervously.

"Only to those who know what to look for," Izumi replied. "Ember, I don't know if you have any idea what crossing the gate has done to you, but there are people out there who do, they are very few, but they are still very, very dangerous. Not to mention, you're traveling with those two dim wits," she added, waving her had in the air to indicate the Elrics. "I probably don't have to tell you that they tend to get themselves into trouble, _a lot_," This was met by a nod from the girl. "I'm not going to tell you not to travel with them, because I know you probably won't listen to me and I know that it's your only way home. So I am going to teach you how to defend yourself, should the need arise."

"Wouldn't they be able to teach me, too?" Ember asked.

"Their style of fighting is completely different from what I'm going to teach you."

"Oh."

"I also plan on helping you control whatever the hell it is that the gate 'gave' to you."

_Well, Al was going to teach you to fight anyway_. "Okay, when do we get started?" Ember asked.

"Before we do, I think you should go continue your music lesson," Izumi replied kindly. "You seem to be a fairly good teacher."

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	26. Chapter 26

**Hi guys... soo it's really late -er- early and I'm sleepy, but I made this new chappie special for you guys. It's longer than last time so this is good! :D but I'm too sleepy (**Ed: More like lazy! Weirdo: It's one in the fricken morning! Ed: Still lazy Weirdo: Ass**) at the moment to make the full before story thingy I usually do. Yay! Some of Embers messed up family history gets an update! woohoo! **

* * *

Ember let out an 'oof' for the umpteenth time as Izumi slammed her into the ground once again. Groaning, she stood up once more and took up the fighting position she had been taught. She was wearing a pair of borrowed sweat pants and a long-sleeved top. For once she was almost glad that her hair was short, seeing as she stayed much cooler while working out.

"We'll continue our lesson after lunch," The black haired woman said, walking towards the house _and she hadn't even broken a sweat!_ "And make sure you drink plenty of water so you don't get dehydrated, but don't gulp it down too fast or you'll get sick."

"Almost sounds like you're speaking from experience," Ember panted, every muscle in her body screaming for her to just skip lunch and go straight to a nap in the grass, all except for her stomach.

Izumi smiled as she heard the loud growling coming from the girl's digestive tract. "Too much food will make you sick, too."

* * *

Ember flopped on to her bed in the room she and Winry were sharing. She sighed as she heard the various pops in her back as she twisted onto her side and was asleep in an instant. However, it felt almost like a second then she was being shaken awake by a drowsy blonde, and there was light pouring through the window.

Mumbling under her breath, Ember put her arm over her face. "It's not allowed to me morning yet, god damn it."

Her reply was a sleepy laugh and a call from down stairs in the form of Izumi's voice. "Ember, you're lucky I let you sleep this late, get down here and eat your breakfast _now!_"

"Crap, she's psychic," the brunette mumbled as she threw her clothes on quickly and got to the kitchen as fast as she could without falling down the stairs.

When she got to the table she was met with eggs and bacon with milk. "So you don't hate me entirely after all," Ember sighed as she tucked into her meal.

"Today, we're going to start the more complicated part of your lessons," Izumi said as she watched the girl eat, and good god she could give Ed a run for his money.

"Wait, what?" Ember looked at the woman like she had just grown a second head. "I had my butt handed to me on a silver platter yesterday."

"That's because you're just now learning, and, no, I'm not psychic, you just grumble louder than you think in the mornings," Izumi said as she stood up and made her way towards the doorway and Ember stared at her with her mouth gaping open. _These people can be creepy._

"_Focus_, Ember," Izumi said over the girls shoulder.

They weren't in the yard as they had been before. In order to make sure that no unwanted spectators saw Embers "power" they were now in the basement of the shop, trying to figure out how to make her use it by will. So far, all that had been accomplished was one massive head ache on Embers part, and slight annoyance that she couldn't figure it out on Izumi's.

Massaging her temples Ember sighed, "Look, my brain is fried. Maybe we'll figure it out next time, but right now my head feels like it's about to explode."

"Are you questioning my methods of teaching?" Izumi said dangerously, a black aura forming around her as her grip on Embers shoulder tightened.

"N-no," Ember said quickly. "S-sorry for saying anything!" It was easy to see why Ed and Al were scared as hell of her.

Izumi sighed and looked at the clock on the wall. "You're right. Go get some rest, you're going to get up bright and early tomorrow," She looked at her new pupil and tightened her grip on her shoulder for emphasis on the last sentence.

* * *

Ember and Winry sat at their usual spot for their little guitar lessons that they always had when Izumi gave Ember a little time off. Winry was a fast learner; she had already been taught a simplified Spanish folk song called _Malagueña_, and was now working on a slightly more difficult version of it.

Winry scowled at the instrument in her hands as she was having difficulties with the picking technique Ember was trying to get her to do. "Ember, how do you do this?" She demanded.

"Lots of practice and my Grams was a great teacher," Ember replied, laughing a little at her friends' distress.

"Is your grandmother back home?" Winry asked.

Embers smile faltered a little bit. "She had brain cancer, she was the bravest woman I knew, and she was taken down by a bloody blob of over grown cells," Ember spat almost angrily.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Winry said quietly.

"It's not your fault."

"So where does your family live anyway?" Winry asked innocently.

"Far, far away," Ember replied, then snapping out of a semi-trance she was in she went straight back to the lesson the two were having.

It had been about a month since they had dropped the brothers off on the island and Ember had started to learn how to fight properly. That was why Ember wasn't out practicing with the meat shop's owner this morning like she normally did. Instead, Izumi was out retrieving the two boys. What they didn't expect was a dark haired boy who was practically naked to walk through the doors.

"I'm glad you two are back. We were getting worried about you," Winry said as she stood with her friends.

"We don't die that easy," Ed said.

"What about Madam Kick-Butt? Has the teacher forgiven her students?" Ember asked.

"We went against her teachings, Ember," Al replied.

"She taught us that we were just small pieces of the world, and that everything in the world works in a cycle, a flow," Ed added. "But we were conceited, we thought we could bend the world anyway we wanted. We were young, but that's no excuse. We let her down."

"Yeah, I don't think she'll ever fully forgive us," Al agreed.

The children had finally "won" and Mason was on the ground getting a severe tickle attack from them.

"That's not fair!" Winry suddenly said. "Everybody makes mistakes! Doesn't she know that? I'm gonna tell her what I think!"

The blonde found herself being held back by the two boys she grew up with as they protested her decision. "Al was just joking when he said that! I'm sure she'll forgive us, right Al?"

"Yeah, of course she will."

"So what's your problem with the kid," Ember asked with a slightly amused look on her face as she watched her friends, but something about that boy gave her a bad vibe. _Damn it! I knew I should have paid more attention to Sarah when she was ranting about her shows!_

"I don't know. I think it's just that Teacher trusts him too much. Too easily."

* * *

**Yeah... I kinda skipped around alot in this one (**Ed: Like I said, lazy Weirdo: I _will_ kick your ass**) and when Ed says the thing about the world is a cycle, does anyone else get the Lion King stuck in their head? No? Just me? Ok.**

**ZOMG! did anyone watch the new Doctor Who (American time- we're a tad behind from the Brittish)? I FRICKEN HATE "To be continued" EPISODES! AND WHY DO I KEEP SEEING STUFF THAT SAYS RIP Roary? HE DIDN'T REALLY DIE, IT WAS A DREAM! And who else gets the feeling that the slightly chubby scientish chick's gonna get herself killed by the lizard people? I'm probably just talking to my self now, but that's ok! And when are whe gonna see Captain Jack again? and how about Jennie? Helloo... Doctor's Daughter, where'd she go?**

**Oooo... and if you where wondering what _Malagueña _sounds like you can here a complicated version here. Remember, Winry's a newbie, she wasn't playing this version, it was a simplified version of this: http:/ www . youtube . com / watch?v=1PtQkyMbDbc just take out the spaces, you know the drill.**


	27. Authors Note

Okay you guys, so I have decided that I will be re-writing NWBT. It will still be the same characters and the same plot that I have already devised in my mind (and damn it, it took me forever, too, so no whining!). It will still be with the original anime mainly because Mai and Ling and Ranfan and all of those Xing guys would screw everything up.

The reason that I am re-writing it is because I went back and read the chapters that I have already done, and, quite frankly, I'm surprised that I have any readers at all! ^^; Believe it or not, I didn't come up with the whole "Nina" idea until the chapter where I first mentioned it and most of the "parallels" stuff didn't come up in my mind until the fifteenth/ sixteenth chapters! I just want to go back and make it make more sense in general and just make it a better written story.

I will leave this up for reference for everyone and I will post where the new story is once I've come up with a new title. Which by the way, suggestions are always welcome! :D

~Wierdo


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